Photoresponse of the In 0.3 Ga 0.7 N metal–insulator–semiconductor photodetectors

In 0.3Ga 0.7N metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) and metal–semiconductor (MS) surface barrier photodetectors have been fabricated. The In0.3Ga0.7N epilayers were grown on sapphire by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). The photoresponse and reverse current–voltage characteristics of the In0.3Ga0.7N MIS and MS photodetectors were measured. A best zero bias responsivity of 0.18 A/W at 450 nm is obtained for the In0.3Ga0.7N MIS photodetector with 10 nm Si3N4 insulator layer, which is more than ten times higher than the In0.3Ga0.7N MS pho-todetector. The reason is attributed to the decrease of the interface states and increase of surface barrier height by the inserted insulator. The influence of the thickness of the Si3N4 insulator layer on the photoresponsivity of the MIS photodetector is also discussed.