Spatially resolved and two-dimensional mapping modulated infrared photoluminescence spectroscopy with functional wavelength up to 20 μm

Abstract

The pixel-scale nonuniformity of the photoelectric response may be due either to the in-plane electronic inhomogeneity of the narrow-gap semiconductor or to the craft fluctuation during the fabrication process, which limits the imaging performance of the infrared focal plane array (FPA) photodetector. Accordingly, a nondestructive technique is most desirable for examining the spatial uniformity of the optoelectronic properties of the narrow-gap semiconductor to identify the origin of the FPA response nonuniformity. This article introduces a spatially resolved and two-dimensional mapping infrared photoluminescence (PL) technique, especially suitable for characterizing FPA narrow-gap semiconductors, based on the modulated PL method with a step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The experimental configuration is described, and typical applications are presented as examples to a 960 × 640 μm2 area of an InAsSbP-on-InAs layer in the medium-wave infrared range and a 960 × 960 μm2 area of a HgTe/HgCdTe superlattice (SL) in the long-wave infrared range. The results indicate that, within a measurement duration of about 30 s/spectrum, a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of over 50 is achieved with a spectral resolution of 16 cm−1 for the InAsSbP-on-InAs layer and a SNR over 30 is achieved with a spectral resolution of 12 cm−1 for the HgTe/HgCdTe SL, which warrants reliable identification of the subtle differences among the spatially resolved and two-dimensional mapping PL spectra. The imaging of the in-plane distribution of PL energy, intensity, and linewidth is realized quantitatively. The results indicate the feasibility and functionality of the spatially resolved and two-dimensional mapping PL spectroscopy for the narrow-gap semiconductors in a wide infrared range.

Multi-technique characterisation of InAs-on-GaAs wafers with circular defect pattern

“…For A III B V semiconductor compounds, especially 6.1 Å-family materials, there has also been great progress in uniformity improvements and mapping techniques developments. Many recent research studies on thick layers of arsenides (e.g., InAs, GaAs), antimonides (e.g., InSb, GaSb), and their ternary alloys (e.g., InAs1-xSbx) [20][21][22][23], as well as low-dimensional structures composed of aforementioned compositions, like quantum dots (QDs) [24][25][26], nanowires [27,28], quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) [29], or type-II superlattices (T2SLs) [30][31][32], indicate strong interest in the topic. Considering mapping, the aim is to obtain as much information as possible using non-destructive techniques.…”

“…Considering mapping, the aim is to obtain as much information as possible using non-destructive techniques. For this reason, the optical or semi-optical methods such as: high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) [24], photoluminescence (PL) [22,24,25,30,31,33], local photocurrent mapping (LPM) [32,34], spatially separated pump-probe (SSPP) spectra [21], lock-in thermography [20], scanning thermal microscopy (STM) [28] are mostly preferred. In many cases, however, contactless electric [35] or non-destructive tactile methods such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) [23] are also used.…”

γ‐Irradiation Damage Mechanism of InGaAs/InP p–i–n Focal Plane Array Investigated by Spatially Resolved and Temperature‐Dependent Photoluminescence

“…[ 17,18 ] Furthermore, the spatially resolved PL measurement enables a rapid examination of the in‐plane homogeneity for focal plane array (FPA) PDs, providing a more comprehensive analysis for irradiation damage. [ 19,20 ]…”

“…[17,18] Furthermore, the spatially resolved PL measurement enables a rapid examination of the in-plane homogeneity for focal plane array (FPA) PDs, providing a more comprehensive analysis for irradiation damage. [19,20] In this work, spatially resolved and temperature-dependent PL spectra are performed to investigate the influence on microstructure and spatial uniformity of an In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/InP p-i-n FPA-PD induced by 20-krad(Si) γ irradiation. Through comparative analysis of PL spectra pre-irradiation and post-irradiation, the spatially resolved PL results demonstrate that γ irradiation causes the in-plane distribution of all PL features to deteriorate.…”

Influence of Fröhlich Interaction on Intersubband Transitions of InGaAs/InAlAs-Based Quantum Cascade Detector Structures Investigated by Infrared Modulated Photoluminescence

“…In this Letter, we describe temperature-dependent PL measurements for InGaAs/InAlAs QCD structures, which improve the sensitivity and SNR upon our previously established modulated-PL method based on a step-scan Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. [28][29][30][31][32] Moreover, to strengthen the PL signal of QCD intraband transitions, both oblique and parallel excitation geometries that refer to the growth plane of the QCD are applied in the PL measurements. Infrared PL spectra (from about 1.3 µm to 12 µm), corresponding to the intraband transitions and interband transitions of QCDs, as supported by numerical calculations based on the 𝑘•𝑝 perturbation theory, are acquired with a significantly improved SNR over a wide temperature range of 5-180 K. The temperature evolution of the PL spectra shows that with phonon-assisted scattering, intraband PL is more stable than interband PL, suggesting the infrared modulated-PL method to be of great potential in characterizing QCD devices.…”