A new system developed by researchers at five institutions, including MIT, could eliminate many the limitations on infrared light detectors. Infrared detectors could form imaging arrays for security systems, or solar cells that harness a broader range of sunlight’s energy.
The new technology implants gold into the top hundred nanometers of silicon, and then uses a laser to melt the surface for a few nanoseconds. The silicon atoms recrystallize into a near-perfect lattice, and the gold atoms don’t have time to escape before getting trapped in the lattice. At the very high concentrations achieved by laser doping, gold can have a net positive optoelectronic impact when infrared light shines on the device.
Also: Learn about Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals.
