A three-dimensional computer model for simulation of light-trapping effects in porous silicon

It has been demonstrated experimentally that porous silicon can be used to enhance the sensitivity, spectral bandwidth, and light acceptance angle of photodiodes. A three-dimensional model was used to approximate the surface geometry of porous silicon. It was found that the main contributing factor to the observed high efficiencies is the shape of the pores in the micron range. Comparison between the computer simulation and actual experimental results shows that the simulation gives a good approximation of the behavior of porous silicon. The study also provides the insight that the surface geometry of porous silicon is the main contributing factor to its efficiency in trapping light.