Germanium metal-contact-free near-IR photodetector

1. A germanium photodetector, comprising:

a first doped semiconductor contact;

a second doped semiconductor contact; and

an intrinsic germanium body in electrical contact with said first doped semiconductor contact and in electrical contact with said second doped semiconductor contact, said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact disposed on a same side of said intrinsic germanium body, said intrinsic germanium body lacking direct mechanical contact with a metal contact;

said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact in electrical communication with respective metal terminals configured to provide electrical signals generated in the germanium photodetector by absorption of electromagnetic radiation to circuitry external to the germanium photodetector.

2. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact is a doped silicon contact.

3. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact is doped with a p-type dopant.

4. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact is doped with an n-type dopant.

5. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , further comprising a third doped semiconductor contact.

6. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein said intrinsic germanium body has a triangular cross section.

7. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein said intrinsic germanium body is terminated in a (111) crystallographic face.

8. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein said intrinsic germanium body is planaraized.

9. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein a crystallographic facet is oriented at an angle between substantially 15 degrees and 75 degrees to the surface of the silicon wafer.

10. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein a measured quantum efficiency is greater than substantially 65%.

11. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein a measured quantum efficiency is greater than substantially 75%.

12. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein a measured quantum efficiency is greater than substantially 85%.

13. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein a measured quantum efficiency is greater than substantially 95%.

14. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the photodetector comprises a p-i-n junction.

15. The germanium photodetector of claim 1 , wherein said electromagnetic radiation is in the wavelength range of substantially 1280-1600 nm in free space.

16. A method of detecting electromagnetic radiation with a germanium photodetector, comprising:

providing a germanium photodetector, comprising:

a first doped semiconductor contact;

a second doped semiconductor contact; and

an intrinsic germanium body in electrical contact with said first doped semiconductor contact and in electrical contact with said second doped semiconductor contact, said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact disposed on a same side of said intrinsic germanium body, said intrinsic germanium body lacking direct mechanical contact with a metal contact

said first doped semiconductor contact and said second doped semiconductor contact in electrical communication with respective metal terminals configured to provide electrical signals generated in the germanium photodetector by absorption of electromagnetic radiation to circuitry external to the germanium photodetector;

receiving electromagnetic radiation by said germanium photodetector;

generating electrical signals representative of an intensity of said electromagnetic radiation or representative of data encoded in said electromagnetic radiation; and

performing at least one of displaying said electrical signals to a user and recording said electrical signals in a machine-readable memory in non-volatile form.

17. The method of detecting electromagnetic radiation of claim 16 , wherein said germanium photodetector supports single optical mode operation.

18. The germanium photodetector of claim 16 , wherein said electromagnetic radiation is in the wavelength range of substantially 1280-1600 nm in free space.

19. The method of detecting electromagnetic radiation of claim 16 , wherein said germanium photodetector supports conduction mode operation.

20. The method of detecting electromagnetic radiation of claim 16 , wherein said germanium photodetector supports operation in avalanche photodiode mode.

21. A method of fabricating a germanium photodetector, comprising:

patterning a silicon wafer having a surface by lithography and etching to create waveguides on the surface;

doping the silicon by implantation and annealing to form a p-type contact and an n-type contact in a layer at the surface of the silicon wafer;

performing germanium epitaxy to provide an intrinsic germanium body having no deliberately added dopant in contact with the n-type contact and the p-type contact, the germanium body having a shape bounded by crystallographic facets oriented at an angle to the surface of the silicon wafer; and

applying metallization to form contact terminals.

22. The method of fabricating a germanium photodetector of claim 21 , wherein the photodetector is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation is in the wavelength range of substantially 1280-1600 nm in free space.

23. The method of fabricating a germanium photodetector of claim 21 , wherein the photodetector includes a p-i-n junction.

24. The method of fabricating a germanium photodetector of claim 21 , wherein a crystallographic facet is oriented at an angle between substantially 15 degrees and 75 degrees to the surface of the silicon wafer.