A semiconductor light-receiving element, includes: a semiconductor substrate; a high-concentration layer of a first conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate; a low-concentration layer of the first conductivity type formed on the high-concentration layer of the first conductivity type and in contact with the high-concentration layer of the first conductivity type; a low-concentration layer of a second conductivity type configured to form a PN junction interface together with the low-concentration layer of the first conductivity type; and a high-concentration layer of the second conductivity type formed on the low-concentration layer of the second conductivity type and in contact with the low-concentration layer of the second conductivity type. The low-concentration layers have a carrier concentration of less than 1×10.sup.16/cm.sup.3. The high-concentration layers have a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 or more. At least one of the low-concentration layers includes an absorption layer with a band gap that absorbs incident light.

A semiconductor light-receiving element, includes: a semiconductor substrate; a high-concentration layer of a first conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate; a low-concentration layer of the first conductivity type formed on the high-concentration layer of the first conductivity type and in contact with the high-concentration layer of the first conductivity type; a low-concentration layer of a second conductivity type configured to form a PN junction interface together with the low-concentration layer of the first conductivity type; and a high-concentration layer of the second conductivity type formed on the low-concentration layer of the second conductivity type and in contact with the low-concentration layer of the second conductivity type. The low-concentration layers have a carrier concentration of less than 1×10.sup.16/cm.sup.3. The high-concentration layers have a carrier concentration of 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 or more. At least one of the low-concentration layers includes an absorption layer with a band gap that absorbs incident light.

In an embodiment a photodiode includes a semiconductor body having a light entrance side and a back side opposite the light entrance side, a first electrode at the light entrance side atop a first doped area of a first conductivity type, a second electrode at the light entrance side atop a second doped area of a second conductivity type, the second doped area being configured to absorb radiation, a gate region at the light entrance side at least between the first electrode and the second electrode, the gate region being connected to a gate electrode, a base electrode at the semiconductor body, the base electrode being configured to receive a current flow from the first electrode, the current flow being indicative of a radiant flux of the radiation onto the second doped area and a radiation shield covering and shielding the first doped area from the radiation to be detected.

Provided is a photodetector which can be manufactured in a standard process of a mass-produced CMOS foundry. The photodetector includes a silicon (Si) substrate; a lower clad layer; a core layer including a waveguide layer configured to guide signal light, and including a first Si slab doped with first conductive impurity ions and a second Si slab doped with second conductive impurity ions; a germanium (Ge) layer configured to absorb light and including a Ge region doped with the first conductive impurity ions; an upper clad layer; and electrodes respectively connected to the first and second Si slabs and the Ge region. A region of the core layer sandwiched between the first Si slab and the second Si slab operates as an amplification layer.

Methods and devices for an avalanche photo-transistor. In one aspect, an avalanche photo-transistor includes a detection region configured to absorb light incident on a first surface of the detection region and generate one or more charge carriers in response, a first terminal in electrical contact with the detection region and configured to bias the detection region, an interim doping region, a second terminal in electrical contact with the interim doping region and configured to bias the interim doping region, a multiplication region configured to receive the one or more charge carriers flowing from the interim doping region and generate one or more additional charge carriers in response, a third terminal in electrical contact with the multiplication region and configured to bias the multiplication region, wherein the interim doping region is located in between the detection region and the multiplication region.

Methods and devices for an avalanche photo-transistor. In one aspect, an avalanche photo-transistor includes a detection region configured to absorb light incident on a first surface of the detection region and generate one or more charge carriers in response, a first terminal in electrical contact with the detection region and configured to bias the detection region, an interim doping region, a second terminal in electrical contact with the interim doping region and configured to bias the interim doping region, a multiplication region configured to receive the one or more charge carriers flowing from the interim doping region and generate one or more additional charge carriers in response, a third terminal in electrical contact with the multiplication region and configured to bias the multiplication region, wherein the interim doping region is located in between the detection region and the multiplication region.

A MEMS device includes a bolometer attached to a silicon wafer by a base portion of at least one anchor structure. The base portion comprises a layer stack having a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration such that the base portion acts as a resistive switch such that, when the first DC voltage is applied to the patterned conductive layer, the base portion transitions from a high resistive state to a low resistive state, and, when the second DC voltage is applied to the patterned conductive layer, the base portion transitions from a high resistive state to a low resistive state.

A photodetector comprising a photoabsorber, comprising a doped semiconductor, a contact layer comprising a doped semiconductor and a barrier layer comprising a charge carrier compensated semiconductor, the barrier layer compensated by doping impurities such that it exhibits a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the photo absorbing layer and a conduction band energy level exhibiting a significant band gap in relation to the conduction band of the photo absorbing layer, the barrier layer disposed between the photoabsorber and contact layers. The relationship between the photo absorbing layer and contact layer valence and conduction band energies and the barrier layer conduction and valance band energies is selected to facilitate minority carrier current flow while inhibiting majority carrier current flow between the contact and photo absorbing layers.

An electromagnetic wave detector includes a light-receiving element, an insulating film, a two-dimensional material layer, a first electrode part, and a second electrode part. The light-receiving element includes a first semiconductor portion of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor portion. The second semiconductor portion is joined to the first semiconductor portion. The second semiconductor portion is of a second conductivity type. The insulating film is disposed on the light-receiving element. The insulating film has an opening portion. The two-dimensional material layer is electrically connected to the first semiconductor portion in the opening portion. The two-dimensional material layer extends from on the opening portion onto the insulating film. The first electrode part is disposed on the insulating film. The first electrode part is electrically connected to the two-dimensional material layer. The second electrode part is electrically connected to the second semiconductor portion.

An electrical device includes a counterdoped heterojunction selected from a group consisting of a pn junction or a p-i-n junction. The counterdoped junction includes a first semiconductor doped with one or more n-type primary dopant species and a second semiconductor doped with one or more p-type primary dopant species. The device also includes a first counterdoped component selected from a group consisting of the first semiconductor and the second semiconductor. The first counterdoped component is counterdoped with one or more counterdopant species that have a polarity opposite to the polarity of the primary dopant included in the first counterdoped component. Additionally, a level of the n-type primary dopant, p-type primary dopant, and the one or more counterdopant is selected to the counterdoped heterojunction provides amplification by a phonon assisted mechanism and the amplification has an onset voltage less than 1 V.