CMOS-Compatible Micro Photovoltaic Generator with Post-Processing Enhanced Optical Absorption

TL;DR

This paper presents a silicon-based micro photovoltaic generator made using standard CMOS technology, with improved performance through a grid design and post-processing techniques.

Contribution

The novel contribution is a CMOS-compatible micro photovoltaic generator with a grid-structured architecture and post-processing to enhance optical absorption.

Findings

The device achieves an open-circuit voltage of 0.49 V and a short-circuit current of 239 µA under 1000 W/m2 illumination.

Post-processing increases energy conversion efficiency to 12.9% by improving optical coupling and reducing reflection losses.

The grid-structured design expands junction area and enhances carrier collection for better performance.

Abstract

This work reports the design and realization of a silicon-based micro photovoltaic generator (MPG) fabricated using a standard 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The device harvests optical energy and converts it into electrical power through the photovoltaic effect, leveraging a network of engineered p–n junctions formed within the semiconductor. A grid-structured architecture is adopted, in which patterned p-type regions are embedded inside an n-well platform. This configuration expands the effective junction area, increases carrier-collection paths, and strengthens the internal electric field, thereby enhancing photocurrent generation. To further improve optical coupling, a specialized post-CMOS treatment is introduced. A wet etching is used to selectively remove the silicon dioxide layer that normally covers the junction regions in CMOS processes. Eliminating this dielectric layer enables direct photon penetration into the depletion region minimizes reflection-related losses, resulting in a significant improvement in device performance. Under an illumination intensity of 1000 W/m2, the fabricated microgenerator delivers an open-circuit voltage of 0.49 V, a short-circuit current of 239 µA, and a maximum output power of 90 µW. The device exhibits an overall energy conversion efficiency of 12.9%, confirming the effectiveness of the grid-like junction design and the post-processing oxide removal.

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