High‐Performance Large‐Format AlN‐Based Vacuum Ultraviolet Imaging Detector

ABSTRACT

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, 10–200 nm) imaging offers unique advantages, including direct observation of insulating samples with nanoscale high resolution, and no need to overcome the diffraction limit. Aluminum nitride (AlN) has been proven to be an efficient material for fabricating high‐performance VUV array detectors. However, the pixel format remains limited, hindering their application in high‐resolution imaging. Scaling up the pixel array still presents critical challenges in sustaining superior device performance and achieving data readout from each pixel. In this work, we demonstrate a 16 16 pixel array detector with a Pt/AlN/n‐SiC heterostructure, which exhibits a responsivity of 52.27 , a photo‐to‐dark current ratio of approximately 10, and temporal responses of 15.4 ns (rise time) and 30.9 ns (decay time). Automatic data acquisition from each pixel is realized through a custom‐designed readout circuit. The device shows no obvious crosstalk between adjacent pixels and achieves a pixel yield of 98.4%. Bilinear interpolation is employed to compensate for defective pixels and to generate an interpolated rendering of the image for improved display quality. This work offers a promising route toward AlN‐based array detectors with larger pixel formats for high‐resolution VUV imaging.