Molecular beam epitaxy HgCdTe infrared photovoltaic detectors

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Optical Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:7173440

Arias, J M; Pasko, J G; Zandian, M; Kozlowski, L J; DeWames, R E ^[1]

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1. Rockwell Science Center, Thousand Oaks, CA (United States)

The authors present p-on-n heterostructure HgCdTe photovoltaic device data that illustrate the high performance and flexibility in band-gap control of molecular beam epitaxy technology. This flexibility demonstration was performed by growing material for operation in the following cutoff wavelength ([lambda][sub co]) ranges of interest: long wavelength IR (LWIR) [[lambda][sub co](77 K) = 9 to 11 [mu]m], mid-long wavelength IR (MLWIR) [[delta][sub co](77 K) = 6.8 [mu]m], and very long wavelength IR (VLWIR) [[lambda][sub co](40 K) = 20 [mu]m]. Detailed analyses of the current-voltage characteristics of these diodes as a function of temperature show that their dark currents are diffusion limited down to 80, 50, and 30 K for the MLWIR, LWIR, and VLWIR photodiodes, respectively. In general, the R[sub 0]A device values were uniform for the three band-gap ranges when operating under diffusion-limited conditions. They confirmed this by fabricating a 64 [times] 64 LWIR ([lambda][sub co] = 10.2 [mu]m) hybrid FPA with detectivity (D[sup [star]]) operability greater than 97% when operating at 77 K. The mean D[sup [star]] value for this device was 1.4 [times] 10[sup 11] cm Hz[sup 1/2]/W and it was background limited at the tested flux of 2.18 [times] 10[sup 16] photons/cm[sup 2]s. This device was tested at higher temperatures of operation without changing background conditions, and it remained background limited up to 100 K.

• OSTI ID: 7173440
• Journal Information: Optical Engineering; (United States), Vol. 33:5; ISSN 0091-3286
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
INFRARED RADIATION
RADIATION DETECTION
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
PERFORMANCE
CADMIUM TELLURIDES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HETEROJUNCTIONS
MERCURY TELLURIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
DETECTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EPITAXY
INFORMATION
JUNCTIONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
440500* - Thermal Instrumentation- (1990-)