The fabrication and characterization of near infrared photodetectors integr
ated on silicon substrates are reported on where the active layer is a ther
mally evaporated polycrystalline germanium. Recent results are presented in
the effort to enhance the optoelectronic properties of the poly-Ge film in
terms of uniformity for multiple device integration, speed and responsivit
y. In particular we demonstrate a 16 pixel linear array, a speed of photore
sponse of about 650 ps and an enhancement of responsivity by a factor of fo
ur. The fabrication process, including substrate cleaning and preparation,
requires temperatures lower than 300 degrees C being fully compatible with
silicon technology. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.