Atomically precise surface engineering for producing imagers

A method of forming atomically precise coatings for silicon detectors, wherein the silicon detectors formed have an absolute quantum efficiency, including reflection losses, above 50% over at least a portion of the spectral range of 100 to 300 nm, comprising:

• providing a substrate comprising a silicon detector having at least first and second surfaces disposed on opposite sides thereof, wherein the first surface is illuminated and wherein the second surface is configured with detector electronics suitable for imaging across a portion of the spectral range of 100 to 300 nm;
• forming a delta-doped passivation layer on the first surface to passivate said silicon detector using molecular beam epitaxy such that the delta-doped passivation layer does not interrupt the epitaxy of the first surface;
• placing said silicon detector under vacuum and preparing said first surface for deposition;
• depositing an anti-reflective coating with an overall thickness of no greater than about 25 nm atop at least a portion of the first surface of the passivated silicon detector using atomic layer deposition by sequentially exposing said first surface to at least two precursors selected such that said at least two precursors react on said first surface to form at least one layer of dielectric material having a thickness of from 0.1 to 3 Angstroms, said at least one layer of dielectric material forming the anti-reflective coating, and wherein the sequential exposure may be repeated to yield an anti-reflective coating configured to allow imaging across at least a portion of the spectral range of 100 to 300 nm;
• depositing a dielectric barrier layer formed of Al2O3 between the anti-reflective coating and the delta-doped passivation layer wherein the barrier layer is chemically unreactive with the underlying passivated silicon detector surface and has a thickness of less than about 1 nm.
• wherein the anti-reflective coating has a density sufficient to ensure that the anti-reflective coating is atomically continuous across the substrate, and wherein the out-of-plane thickness of the anti-reflective coating is conformal to the at least first surface of the silicon detector on an atomic size scale;
• and
• wherein the silicon detector is not exposed to the external atmosphere during the formation of the anti-reflective coating.