The paper reports on the photoelectrical performance of the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe high operating temperature (HOT) detector. The detector structure was simulated with commercially available software APSYS by Crosslight Inc. taking into account SRH, Auger and tunnelling currents. A detailed analysis of the detector performance such as dark current, detectivity, time response as a function of device architecture and applied bias is performed, pointing out optimal working conditions.
Non-intentionally doped GaSb epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on highly mismatched semi-insulating GaAs substrate (001) with 2 offcut towards (110). The effects of substrate temperature and the Sb/Ga flux ratio on the crystalline quality, surface morphology and electrical properties were investigated by Nomarski optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Hall measurements, respectively. Besides, differential Hall was used to investigate the hole concentration behaviour along the GaSb epilayer. It is found that the crystal quality, electrical properties and surface morphology are markedly dependent on the growth temperature and the group V/III flux ratio. Under the optimized parameters, we demonstrate a low hole concentration at very low growth temperature. Unfortunately, the layers grown at low temperature are characterized by wide FWHM and low Hall mobility.
In the paper recent progress at VIGO/MUT (Military University of Technology) MOCVD Laboratory in the growth of Hg1-xCdxTe (HgCdTe) multilayer heterostructures on GaAs/CdTe substrates is presented. The optimum conditions for the growth of single layers and complex multilayer heterostructures have been established. One of the crucial stages of HgCdTe epitaxy is CdTe nucleation on GaAs substrate. Successful composite substrates have been obtained with suitable substrate preparation, liner and susceptor treatment, proper control of background fluxes and appropriate nucleation conditions. The other critical stage is the interdiffused multilayer process (IMP). The growth of device-quality HgCdTe heterostructures requires complete homogenization of CdTe-HgTe pairs preserving at the same time suitable sharpness of composition and doping profiles. This requires for IMP pairs to be very thin and grown in a short time.
Arsenic and iodine have been used for acceptor and donor doping. Suitable growth conditions and post growth anneal is essential for stable and reproducible doping. In situ anneal seems to be sufficient for iodine doping at any required level. In contrast, efficient As doping with near 100% activation requires ex situ anneal at near saturated mercury vapours. As a result we are able to grow multilayer fully doped (100) and (111) heterostructures for various infrared devices including photoconductors, photoelectromagnetic and photovoltaic detectors. The present generation of uncooled long wavelength infrared devices is based on multijunction photovoltaic devices. The technology steps in fabrication of devices are described. It is shown that near-BLIP performance is possible to achieve at ≈ 230 K with optical immersion. These devices are especially promising as 7.8–9.5 um detectors, indicating the potential for achieving detectivities above 109 cmHz1/2/W.