Infrared Absorption in Silicon Nanostructure-Patterned Absorber

Nanostructures or microstructure-patterned based metamaterials are fabricated on semiconductors’ surface to reduce the reflection and enhance the absorption of light. There is a particular interest to develop the infrared (IR) absorbers’ materials that will improve the absorption in IR detector. This paper discusses about the mechanism of broadband absorption of infrared radiation in nanopatterned arrays of nanowires on silicon. In this work, the absorption and scattering cross-section of silicon nanowires in infrared region are simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics-based Wave Optics Module. Infrared response is analyzed in wavelength range 2.5–20 μm for transverse electric polarizations at the normal and oblique incidence up to 60°. Simulation results reveal that the scattering of light is dominant over absorbance that enhances the extinction of the IR radiation.