Micromachines, Volume 17, Issue 4
2026 April - 114 articles
Cover Story: Dark current is a key limiting factor in photodiode performance, setting the noise floor and restricting sensitivity in low-light conditions. This review analyzes the main physical mechanisms responsible for dark current, including diffusion, Shockley–Read–Hall generation, trap-assisted tunneling, band-to-band tunneling, and surface leakage. Each mechanism is discussed in terms of its origin and distinguishing characteristics. Various reduction strategies are examined, such as thermal management, surface passivation (notably ALD Al2O3), guard ring designs, gettering and defect control, doping optimization, and bias management. Advanced device concepts like pinned photodiodes and black silicon are also considered. The review covers silicon, germanium, III–V, and emerging materials, with applications in near-infrared detection, CMOS imaging, SPADs, and Time-of-Flight systems. View this paper
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Micromachines - ISSN 2072-666X