TOTALLY SOLAR-BLIND ULTRAVIOLET DETECTORS

ADVANCES IN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY HAVE RESULTED IN VAST NEW TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES AND HAVE AFFECTED EVERY ASPECT OF MODERN LIFE. ONE SUCH APPLICATION WHERE ADVANCES IN SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IS IN THE ULTRAVIOLET ATMOSPHERIC REMOTE SENSING MEASUREMENTS. THE IDEAL UV DETECTOR WOULD BE A SOLID STATE DEVICE WITH HIGH RESPONSIBILITY TO UV LIGHT AND NEGLIGIBLE RESPONSITIVITY TO VISIBLE LIGHT. IT WOULD MAKE POSSIBLE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SPACE INSTRUMENTATION AND SOLAR OBSERVATIONS. THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A NEW SOLID STATE VISIBLE-BLIND UV DETECTOR. THE DETECTOR BASED ON A NEW WIDE BANDGAP TERNARY SEMICONDUCTOR BORON NITRIDE PHOSPHIDE (BNP) HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DISPLAY SELECTIVE UV ABSORPTION AS WELL AS GOOD LONG TERM STABILITY.