US-12628459-B1 - Dual function diamond-based semiconductor device

US12628459B1US 12628459 B1US12628459 B1US 12628459B1US-12628459-B1

Abstract

A diamond-based particle detector includes a diamond substrate that includes a first side and a second side; a first side first doped layer contacting the first side of the diamond substrate; a first metal contact contacting the first side first doped layer, a first side intrinsic diamond layer contacting the first side first doped layer, (i) a second side first doped layer or (ii) a second side intrinsic diamond layer contacting the second side of the diamond substrate; and a second metal contact contacting (i) the second side first doped layer or (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer.

Inventors

Anna Zaniewski
Jesse Brown
Jose Andres Orozco
Manpuneet Kaur Benipal

Assignees

Advent Diamond, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230729

Claims (20)

1 . A dual function diamond-based semiconductor device comprising: a vertically stacked structure comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is oppositely positioned to the second side; a diode arranged on the first side, wherein the diode comprises: a diamond substrate; a first side first doped layer adjacent to the diamond substrate; and a first side intrinsic diamond layer adjacent to the first side first doped layer; a photoresistor arranged on the second side, wherein the photoresistor comprises: the diamond substrate shared with the diode; and a second side first doped layer adjacent to the diamond substrate.
2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first side first doped layer is positioned between the diamond substrate and the first side intrinsic diamond layer.
3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first side first doped layer comprises a p or n type diamond material.
4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the diode further comprises a metal contact adjacent to the first side first doped layer.
5 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the diode further comprises a metal contact adjacent to the first side intrinsic diamond layer.
6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the diode further comprises a first side second doped layer adjacent to the first side intrinsic diamond layer.
7 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the first side intrinsic diamond layer is positioned between the first side first doped layer and the first side second doped layer.
8 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the diode further comprises a metal contact adjacent to the first side second doped layer.
9 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the diode further comprises a neutron conversion layer adjacent to the metal contact.
10 . The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the metal contact is positioned between the neutron conversion layer and the first side second doped layer or the first side intrinsic diamond layer.
11 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein each of the first side first doped layer, the second side first doped layer, the first side intrinsic diamond layer, and the first side second doped layer comprises a single crystal material, polycrystalline material, or a nanocrystalline material.
12 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the second side first doped layer comprises a p-type diamond material, a n-type diamond layer, a second side intrinsic diamond layer, and/or an additional low resistance layer comprising a p or n diamond or conducting nanocarbon layer adjacent to the diamond substrate.
13 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the photoresistor further comprises a metal contact adjacent to the second side first doped layer, a second side intrinsic diamond layer, or to the diamond substrate.
14 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the photoresistor further comprises a neutron conversion layer adjacent to the metal contact and (i) the second side first doped layer, (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer, or (iii) the diamond substrate.
15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein (i) the second side first doped layer or (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer is positioned between the diamond substrate and the neutron conversion layer.
16 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein the metal contact is positioned between the neutron conversion layer and (i) the second side first doped layer, (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer, or (iii) the diamond substrate.
17 . A dual function diamond-based semiconductor device comprising: a vertically stacked structure comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is oppositely positioned to the second side; a diode arranged on the first side, wherein the diode comprises: a diamond substrate; a first side first doped layer adjacent to the diamond substrate; and a first side intrinsic diamond layer adjacent to the first side first doped layer; a photoresistor arranged on the second side, wherein the photoresistor comprises: the diamond substrate shared with the diode.
18 . A diamond-based particle detector comprising: a diamond substrate comprising a first side and a second side; a first side first doped layer contacting the first side of the diamond substrate; a first metal contact contacting the first side first doped layer; a first side intrinsic diamond layer contacting the first side first doped layer, wherein the first side first doped layer is positioned between the diamond substrate and the first side intrinsic diamond layer; (i) a second side first doped layer or (ii) a second side intrinsic diamond layer contacting the second side of the diamond substrate; and a second metal contact contacting (i) the second side first doped layer or (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer.
19 . The diamond-based particle detector of claim 18 , further comprising: a first side second doped layer contacting the first side intrinsic diamond layer; a third metal contact contacting the first side second doped layer; and a neutron conversion layer contacting the third metal contact.
20 . The diamond-based particle detector of claim 18 , further comprising a neutron conversion layer contacting the second metal contact and (i) the second side first doped layer or (ii) the second side intrinsic diamond layer.

Description

GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with government support under DTRA award HDTRA2-22-C-0002, DOE award #DE-SC0019659, NASA award #80NSSC22PA926, and NSF award #1951263. The government has certain rights in the invention. BACKGROUND Technical Field The embodiments herein generally relate to radiation detectors, and more particularly to a diamond-based solid state particle/radiation detector. Description of the Related Art Alpha particle detectors currently used in field applications are based upon a scintillator (fluorescent material) and photomultiplier tube. Generally, alpha particles pass through a mylar window to a scintillator screen, which generates light when radiated. The light from the scintillator is sent through a prism to a photomultiplier tube, which converts and amplifies the light to an electrical signal. A large active area is needed to locate alpha emitters, since the range of alpha particles in air is very short, making alpha emitters hard to locate. Beta particle detectors, such as the beta/gamma probe for the AN/PDR-77 military radiac set are based on cylindrical gas chambers. This detector works in the following way: radiation in the cylindrical chamber causes an ionization of the gas. An electric field between the anode (inside the chamber) and the cathode (chamber walls) cause the charged particles to drift, creating a current, which is the measured signal. When the beta shield is opened, a thin mylar window enables the penetration of beta radiation into the chamber. Unstructured diamond detectors (e.g., MIM: metal-intrinsic layer-metal) are available for x-ray monitoring (e.g., an x-ray beam positioning detector). These are relatively simple devices, consisting of intrinsic diamond with metal read out contacts. Detectors of this type require controlled irradiation to saturate the polarization and stabilize the signal. In addition, they need hundreds of volts to generate signal. Components of the state of the art systems include a mylar window, glass prism optics, and photomultiplier tubes (PMT). Physical shocks could damage the glass prism, mirrors, and/or PMTs; however, the component most subject to failure in the field is the window (typically mylar or coated mica). Indeed, even decontaminating the window from debris can cause damage, limiting its lifetime and reliability. Thus, both the Beta/Gamma and Alpha detectors currently used in industry rely on thin fragile windows which are susceptible to puncture and failure in the field and are difficult to decontaminate. A third type of detector, the alpha/beta “pancake”-type detector also uses a similar window to block visible light. The high voltage required for the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diamond based detectors makes them bulky and causes increased electrical noise. The polarizability of MIM diamond detectors reduces efficiency and the controlled irradiation source required to saturate the polarization is impractical for use in the field. For these reasons, unstructured diamond is less suited to field use. Dual-sided detectors also allow additional measurements to be made at lower cost than single-sided detectors by reusing the diamond substrate. Other semiconductor particle detectors include silicon detectors. However, because silicon is sensitive to light and thermal noise, these require light-blocking windows, active cooling, and long background measurement times, and are typically not used outside for these reasons. Radiation detectors are needed for a large swath of technological sectors. Miniaturized, compact, and rugged radiation detector design is desirable across many applications. Some of the issues with conventional detector options include difficulty detecting low activity sources, which stems from low efficiency, and sensitivity to visible light, which increases background noise and leads to false positives. Additionally, the differentiation of particle species uses a set of different detector structures which requires separate active areas, increasing system complexity, size, and cost. In addition, many particle detectors available in the industry are not selective to the radiation type and will be responsive to a variety of energetic inputs. Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved solid state particle/radiation detector. SUMMARY In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a dual function diamond-based semiconductor device comprising a vertically stacked structure comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is oppositely positioned to the second side; a diode arranged on the first side, wherein the diode comprises: a diamond substrate; a first side first doped layer adjacent to the diamond substrate; and a first side intrinsic diamond layer adjacent to the first side first doped layer. The semiconductor device further comprises a photoresistor arranged on the second side, wherein the photoresistor comprises: the diamond substrate shared with the diode; and a seco