Strategy for the design of a non-cryogenic quantum infrared detector

Abstract

A study of the optimization of the detectivity of a mid-infrared double heterostructure photovoltaic detector is proposed. Simple approximate analytic expressions for the dark current are compared with full numerical calculations, and give physical insight into the mechanisms dominating the dark current. The analysis is performed step by step in different structures, from a simple p-n junction to the full double heterostructure. The influence of temperature, barrier band gap energy in a double heterostructure and doping density in the active region, on diffusion and generationrecombination mechanisms is analysed. It is finally shown how the performances of a double heterostructure photovoltaic detector can be improved by a controlled doping of the active region, especially at low temperature.

Growth of InAsSb/InAs MQWs on GaSb for mid-IR photodetector applications

“…A III-V material system is of high interest as a Hg-free material system. Furthermore, previous results indicate that by the appropriate choice of heterojunction barrier layers, some usable response in the mid-IR should be obtainable close to room temperature with this material system [7]. There are challenges when working with antimonides, however, as they only grow with good morphology within a small V:III window [8].…”

“…Most previous reports of photodetector work in this material system involved InAsSb lattice matched to GaSb, having a band gap corresponding to 4:3 mm (0.286 eV) at room temperature [6,7]. In this work we explore the possibility of strain compensated InAs/InAsSb multi-quantum wells (MQW) grown on GaSb substrates by OMVPE.…”

High detectivity AlGaAsSb/InGaAsSb photodetectors grown by molecular beam epitaxy with cutoff wavelength up to 2.6μm

“…As shown in the inset, R 0 A is 90 O cm 2 at 290 K and 1.1 Â10 5 O cm 2 at 190 K. The activation energy of about 310 meV can be extracted from the slope of the curve near room temperature. By taking into consideration that the energy gap of InGaAsSb varies with temperature [15], the theoretical prediction of the activation energy for the generation-recombination (G-R) limited case is calculated to be 296 meV. This indicates that the dark current is dominated by G-R mechanism near room temperature up to 340 K. The ideality factor of the photodiode is calculated to be 1.9.…”

Low-frequency noise behavior at reverse bias region in InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes on mid-wave infrared

“…The activation energy of the current limiting factors at different reverse bias values can be determined from the slope of the linear fit to ln(RA) vs. 1000/T for different reverse voltages (see Figure 7) [14,15]. Figure 6 shows the E act vs. reverse V bias for all SL diodes.…”