Simulation of Silicon Surface Barrier Detector with PN Junction Guard Rings to Improve the Breakdown Voltage

Abstract

Silicon surface barrier detectors (SSBDs) are normally used to detect high-energy particles due to their excellent properties. For better charge collection efficiency (CCE), the SSBD device should be operated at higher reverse voltages, but this can lead to device breakdown. Therefore, we used a PN junction as a guard ring to increase the breakdown voltage of the SSBD. The structures of two SSBD devices are drawn and simulated in this work. Compared with a conventional SSBD (c-SSBD), the use of a PN junction as a guard ring for an SSBD (Hybrid-SSBD) achieves higher breakdown voltages, of over 1500 V under reverse bias. This means that Hybrid-SSBD devices can operate at higher reverse voltages for better charge collection efficiency (CCE) to detect high-energy particles. Then, we simulated the different structure parameters of the Hybrid-SSBD guard rings. Among them, the doping depth and gap width of the guard ring (between the innermost guard ring and the active area) have a greater impact on the breakdown voltage. Finally, for Hybrid-SSBD devices, the optimal characteristics of the guard ring were 1 × 1019 cm−3 doping concentration, 1 μm doping depth, and innermost guard ring width and gap width of 5 μm and 3 μm, respectively.

Keywords

• surface barrier detector
• guard rings
• device simulations
• breakdown voltage