HgCdTe Research at FFI: Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth and Characterization

Abstract

This paper presents results from recent work on molecular beam epitaxy growth of HgCdTe at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), including studies of material properties and fabrication of photodiodes and nanostructures. Systematic studies of defect morphology in HgTe and Hg 1Àx Cd x Te have revealed that there is a minimum in the area covered by defects just below the onset of Te precipitation. The shape and density of microvoids in HgTe can be used to determine the deviation from the optimal growth temperature. This can be further related to the optimal growth temperature of Hg 1Àx Cd x Te with any Cd mole fraction by thermodynamic calculations. A mechanism for the formation of microvoids and needles has been presented. Photoluminescence (PL) has been used to study layers without doping and with Hg vacancy, Ag, and In doping. Planar photodiodes with high dynamic resistance and good quantum efficiency were fabricated by ion-milling vacancy-doped mid-wave and long-wave infrared layers. Quantum wells (QWs) with good crystallinity and high PL light output have been grown. Surface patterning has been found to enhance light emission from HgCdTe thin-film and QW samples by $30%. Single-crystal HgTe and segmented HgTe/Te nanowires have been grown, and the resistivity of the nanowires has been measured by conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM), where the AFM tip has been used as a mobile electrode.

Preliminary validation results of an ASIC for the readout and control of near-infrared large array detectors

“…Such hybrid image sensors are currently under development at SELEX UK [4] and CEA LETI [5]. NIRCA can also be useful with existing sensors [6], [7]. Besides our work, other European projects target similar applications and specifications [8], [9].…”