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Title: Strain-compensated infrared photodetector and photodetector array

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1083800

A photodetector is disclosed for the detection of infrared light with a long cutoff wavelength in the range of about 4.5-10 microns. The photodetector, which can be formed on a semiconductor substrate as an nBn device, has a light absorbing region which includes InAsSb light-absorbing layers and tensile-strained layers interspersed between the InAsSb light-absorbing layers. The tensile-strained layers can be formed from GaAs, InAs, InGaAs or a combination of these III-V compound semiconductor materials. A barrier layer in the photodetector can be formed from AlAsSb or AlGaAsSb; and a contact layer in the photodetector can be formed from InAs, GaSb or InAsSb. The photodetector is useful as an individual device, or to form a focal plane array.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Number(s):
8,450,773
Application Number:
12/836,769
OSTI ID:
1083800
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (9)

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Suppression of surface leakage currents using molecular beam epitaxy-grown unipolar barriers
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journal May 2010
Strain compensated indium galium arsenide quantum well photoconductors with high indium content extended wavelength operation patent May 2001
Unipolar Semiconductor Photodetector with Suppressed Dark Current and Method for Producing the Same patent-application October 2009
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Multi color detector patent September 2002
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