Calculated performance of an Auger-suppressed unipolar HgCdTe photodetector for high temperature operation

Anne M. Itsuno; Jamie D. Phillips; Angelo S Gilmore; Silviu Velicu

doi:10.1117/12.893732

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16 September 2011 Calculated performance of an Auger-suppressed unipolar HgCdTe photodetector for high temperature operation

Anne M. Itsuno, Jamie D. Phillips, Angelo S Gilmore, Silviu Velicu

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Proceedings Volume 8155, Infrared Sensors, Devices, and Applications; and Single Photon Imaging II; 81550J (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893732
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The performance of leading HgCdTe p-n junction infrared (IR) device technology is limited by thermal generationrecombination (G-R) mechanisms and material processing challenges associated with achieving low, controllable in-situ p-type doping using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth techniques. These aspects are addressed in the proposed hybrid HgCdTe NBνN structure which relies on band gap engineered layers to suppress Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) and Auger G-R processes contributing to performance degradation. The unipolar NBνN architecture provides the desired advantages of a simplified fabrication process, eliminating p-type doping requirements. Physics-based numerical device simulations incorporating established HgCdTe material parameters and G-R mechanisms are used to study the performance characteristics of a long wavelength infrared (LWIR) NBνN device with a 12 μm cut-off wavelength. The calculated results are compared to those values obtained for an LWIR HgCdTe nBn device. Theoretical dark current density (J_dark) values of the NBνN device are lower by an order of magnitude or more for temperatures between 50 K and 245 K. Calculated detectivity (D*) values of 2.367 x 10¹⁴ - 2.273 x 1011 cm Hz^0.5/W for temperatures ranging from 50 K and 95 K, respectively, are observed in the NBνN structure.

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Anne M. Itsuno, Jamie D. Phillips, Angelo S Gilmore, and Silviu Velicu "Calculated performance of an Auger-suppressed unipolar HgCdTe photodetector for high temperature operation", Proc. SPIE 8155, Infrared Sensors, Devices, and Applications; and Single Photon Imaging II, 81550J (16 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893732

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