Modeling and Optimization of Plasmonic Detectors for Beyond-CMOS Plasmonic Majority Logic Gates

In this work, we report the modeling and design of a high-speed Ge-based plasmonic detector coupled with a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) plasmonic majority gate. The detector is designed to distinguish between multiple output levels of the integrated majority gate. Through numerical analyses we predict the proposed plasmonic detector has an intrinsic bandwidth beyond 220 GHz at an applied bias of only 100 mV. An asymmetric Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) configuration of the plasmonic detector ensures a dark current of a few nA which results in high sensitivity. The high electric field generated by the electrode asymmetry enables effective separation of the photogenerated carriers resulting in high photocurrent even at few mVs of applied bias. The low capacitance of less than 1fF arising from the small detector dimensions results in a high RC-limited bandwidth. Moreover, the narrow plasmonic Ge slot of the photodetector provides a short drift path and fast transit time for carriers. Unlike previously reported plasmonic detectors that use noble metals as electrodes, our proposed detector employs Al and Cu to meet CMOS compatibility requirements and thus can be a potential candidate for high-speed computational systems in industry-level applications. Additionally, the findings presented in the article will be helpful for the future realization of an integrated plasmonic system.