title: Embedding plasmonic nanostructure diodes enhances hot electron emission.
abstract: When plasmonic nanostructures serve as the metallic counterpart of a metal-semiconductor Schottky interface, hot electrons due to plasmon decay are emitted across the Schottky barrier, generating measurable photocurrents in the semiconductor. When the plasmonic nanostructure is atop the semiconductor, only a small percentage of hot electrons are excited with a wavevector permitting transport across the Schottky barrier. Here we show that embedding plasmonic structures into the semiconductor substantially increases hot electron emission. Responsivities increase by 25× over planar diodes for embedding depths as small as 5 nm. The vertical Schottky barriers created by this geometry make the plasmon-induced hot electron process the dominant contributor to photocurrent in plasmonic nanostructure-diode-based devices.
authors: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
authors: Mark W
authors: MW
authors: Knight
authors: Yumin
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Alexander S
authors: AS
authors: Urban
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Sobhani
authors: Bob Y
authors: BY
authors: Zheng
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Nordlander
authors: Naomi J
authors: NJ
authors: Halas
mesh_terms: D004583:Electrons; D006358:Hot Temperature; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D012666:Semiconductors; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium