Realization of very long wavelength infrared photovoltaic detector arrays on mercury cadmium telluride epitaxial layers grown on Si substrates

This paper proposes a development of n-on-p structures for realizing very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) detector arrays on mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) epitaxial layers grown on Si substrates. It is shown from a comparative study of zero-bias resistance-area product (R₀A) of diodes in n-on-p and p-on-n configurations that the n-on-p structure has promising potential to control contribution of dislocations, without actually reducing dislocation density below the current level (mid-10⁶ cm⁻²) of HgCdTe/Si material technology. The resulting gain will be in terms of both higher numerical magnitudes of R₀A and its reduced scatter.     

Effect of dislocations on performance of LWIR HgCdTe photodiodes

The epitaxial growth of HgCdTe on alternative substrates has emerged as an enabling technology for the fabrication of large-area infrared (IR) focal plane arrays (FPAs). One key technical issue is high dislocation densities in HgCdTe epilayers grown on alternative substrates. This is particularly important with regards to the growth of HgCdTe on heteroepitaxial Si-based substrates, which have a higher dislocation density than the bulk CdZnTe substrates typically used for epitaxial HgCdTe material growth. In the paper a simple model of dislocations as cylindrical regions confined by surfaces with definite surface recombination is proposed. Both radius of dislocations and its surface recombination velocity are determined by comparison of theoretical predictions with carrier lifetime experimental data described by other authors. It is observed that the carrier lifetime depends strongly on recombination velocity; whereas the dependence of the carrier lifetime on dislocation core radius is weaker. The minority carrier lifetime is approximately inversely proportional to the dislocation density for densities higher than 10⁵ cm⁻². Below this value, the minority carrier lifetime does not change with dislocation density. The influence of dislocation density on the R₀A product of long wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe photodiodes is also discussed. It is also shown that parameters of dislocations have a strong effect on the R₀A product at temperature around 77 K in the range of dislocation density above 10⁶ cm⁻². The quantum efficiency is not a strong function of dislocation density.     

Long wavelength infrared, molecular beam epitaxy, HgCdTe-on-Si diode performance

In the past several years, we have made significant progress in the growth of CdTe buffer layers on Si wafers using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) as well as the growth of HgCdTe onto this substrate as an alternative to the growth of HgCdTe on bulk CdZnTe wafers. These developments have focused primarily on mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) HgCdTe and have led to successful demonstrations of high-performance 1024×1024 focal plane arrays (FPAs) using Rockwell Scientific’s double-layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) architecture. We are currently attempting to extend the HgCdTe-on-Si technology to the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) and very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) regimes. This is made difficult because the large lattice-parameter mismatch between Si and CdTe/HgCdTe results in a high density of threading dislocations (typically, >5E6 cm⁻²), and these dislocations act as conductive pathways for tunneling currents that reduce the R_oA and increase the dark current of the diodes. To assess the current state of the LWIR art, we fabricated a set of test diodes from LWIR HgCdTe grown on Si. Silicon wafers with either CdTe or CdSeTe buffer layers were used. Test results at both 78 K and 40 K are presented and discussed in terms of threading dislocation density. Diode characteristics are compared with LWIR HgCdTe grown on bulk CdZnTe.     

Heteroepitaxy of HgCdTe(112) infrared detector structures on Si(112) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy

High-quality, single-crystal epitaxial films of CdTe(112)B and HgCdTe(112)B have been grown directly on Si(112) substrates without the need for GaAs interfacial layers. The CdTe and HgCdTe films have been characterized with optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction, wet chemical defect etching, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. HgCdTe/Si infrared detectors have also been fabricated and tested. The CdTe(112)B films are highly specular, twin-free, and have x-ray rocking curves as narrow as 72 arc-sec and near-surface etch pit density (EPD) of 2 × 10⁶ cm⁻² for 8 μm thick films. HgCdTe(112)B films deposited on Si substrates have x-ray rocking curve FWHM as low as 76 arc-sec and EPD of 3-22 × 10⁶ cm⁻². These MBE-grown epitaxial structures have been used to fabricate the first high-performance HgCdTe IR detectors grown directly on Si without use of an intermediate GaAs buffer layer. HgCdTe/Si infrared detectors have been fabricated with 40% quantum efficiency and R₀A = 1.64 × 10⁴ Ωm₂ (0 FOV) for devices with 7.8 μm cutoff wavelength at 78Kto demonstrate the capability of MBE for growth of large-area HgCdTe arrays on Si.     

Reduction of Dislocation Density in HgCdTe on Si by Producing Highly Reticulated Structures

HgCdTe, because of its narrow band gap and low dark current, is the infrared detector material of choice for several military and commercial applications. CdZnTe is the substrate of choice for HgCdTe as it can be lattice matched, resulting in low-defect-density epitaxy. Being often small and not circular, layers grown on CdZnTe are difficult to process in standard semiconductor equipment. Furthermore, CdZnTe can often be very expensive. Alternative inexpensive large circular substrates, such as silicon or gallium arsenide, are needed to scale production of HgCdTe detectors. Growth of HgCdTe on these alternative substrates has its own difficulty, namely a large lattice mismatch (19% for Si and 14% for GaAs). This large mismatch results in high defect density and reduced detector performance. In this paper we discuss ways to reduce the effects of dislocations by gettering these defects to the edge of a reticulated structure. These reticulated surfaces enable stress-free regions for dislocations to glide to. In the work described herein, HgCdTe-on-Si diodes have been produced with R ₀ A ₀ of over 400 Ω cm² at 78 K and cutoff of 10.1 μm. Further, these diodes have good uniformity at 78 K at both 9.3 μm and 10.14 μm.     

HgCdTe/Si materials for long wavelength infrared detectors

The heteroepitaxial growth of HgCdTe on large-area Si substrates is an enabling technology leading to the production of low-cost, large-format infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs). This approach will allow HgCdTe FPA technology to be scaled beyond the limitations of bulk CdZnTe substrates. We have already achieved excellent mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and short wavelength infrared (SWIR) detector and FPA results using HgCdTe grown on 4-in. Si substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and this work was focused on extending these results into the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) spectral regime. A series of nine p-on-n LWIR HgCdTe double-layer heterojunction (DLHJ) detector structures were grown on 4-in. Si substrates. The HgCdTe composition uniformity was very good over the entire 4-in. wafer with a typical maximum nonuniformity of 2.2% at the very edge of the wafer; run-to-run composition reproducibility, realized with real-time feedback control using spectroscopic ellipsometry, was also very good. Both secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Hall-effect measurements showed well-behaved doping and majority carrier properties, respectively. Preliminary detector results were promising for this initial work and good broad-band spectral response was demonstrated; 61% quantum efficiency was measured, which is very good compared to a maximum allowed value of 70% for a non-antireflection-coated Si surface. The R₀A products for HgCdTe/Si detectors in the 9.6-μm and 12-μm cutoff range were at least one order of magnitude below typical results for detectors fabricated on bulk CdZnTe substrates. This lower performance was attributed to an elevated dislocation density, which is in the mid-10⁶ cm⁻² range. The dislocation density in HgCdTe/Si needs to be reduced to <10⁶ cm⁻² to make high-performance LWIR detectors, and multiple approaches are being tried across the infrared community to achieve this result because the technological payoff is significant.     

Dislocation profiles in HgCdTe(100) on GaAs(100) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We studied dislocation etch pit density (EPD) profiles in HgCdTe(lOO) layers grown on GaAs(lOO) by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Dislocation profiles in HgCdTe(lll)B and HgCdTe(lOO) layers differ as follows: Misfit dislocations in HgCdTe(lll)B layers are concentrated near the HgCdTe/CdTe interfaces because of slip planes parallel to the interfaces. Away from the HgCdTe/CdTe interface, the HgCdTe(111)B dislocation density remains almost constant. In HgCdTe(lOO) layers, however, the dislocations propagate monotonically to the surface and the dislocation density decreases gradually as dislocations are incorporated with increasing HgCdTe(lOO) layer thicknesses. The dislocation reduction was small in HgCdTe(lOO) layers more than 10 μm from the HgCdTe/CdTe interface. The CdTe(lOO) buffer thickness and dislocation density were similarly related. Since dislocations glide to accommodate the lattice distortion and this movement increases the probability of dislocation incorporation, incorporation proceeds in limited regions from each interface where the lattice distortion and strain are sufficient. We obtained the minimum EPD in HgCdTe(100) of 1 to 3 x 10⁶ cm^-2 by growing both the epitaxial layers more than 8 μm thick.     

Microscopic defects on MBE grown LWIR Hg1−xCdxTe material and their impact on device performance

Long wavelength infrared molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown p-on-n Hg_1−xCd_xTe double layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) detectors have been characterized to determine the dominant mechanisms limiting their performance. Material defects have been identified as critical factors that limit 40K performance operability. This effort has concentrated on identifying microscopic defects, etch pit density (EPD) and relating these defects to the device performance. Visual inspection indicates defect densities as high as 10⁵ per cm² with a spatial extent as observed by atomic force microscope in the range of micrometers extending several micrometers beneath the surface. At high EPD values (greater than low 10⁶ cm⁻²) zero bias resistance (R₀) at 40K decreases as roughly as the square of the EPD. At 78K, however, measured R₀ is not affected by the EPD up to densities as high as mid-10⁶ cm⁻². Visual defects greater than 2–3 μm than ∼2 μm in size (micro-void defects) result in either a single etch pit or a cluster of etch pits. Large variations in a cross-wafer etch pit distribution are most likely a major contributor to the observed large spreads in 40K R₀. This study gives some insight to the present limitation to achieve higher performance and high operability for low temperature infrared applications on MBE grown HgCdTe material.     

Material properties of Pb1-xSnxSe epilayers on Si and their correlation with the performance of infrared photodiodes

Hall mobilities and resistance area products R_oA of infrared diodes in epitaxial Pb_1-xSn_xSe layers on CaF₂ covered Si(111) substrates were correlated with threading dislocation densities p. The low temperature saturation Hall mobilities were entirely determined by p and proportional to their mean spacing 1/ √ρ. For the photodiodes, the R₀A values at low temperatures were inversely propor-tional to ρ. A model where each dislocation in the active area of the diodes causes a shunt resistance correctly describes the results, the value of this resistance for a single dislocation is 1.2 GΩ for PbSe at 85K. The dislocation densities were in the 2 × 10⁷ to 5 × 10⁸cm^-2 range for the 3-4 μm thick as-grown layers. Higher R₀A values are obtainable by lowering these densities by thermal annealing, which sweeps the threading ends of the misfit dislocations to the edges of the sample.     

Dislocation Reduction of HgCdTe/Si Through <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ex Situ</Emphasis> Annealing

Current growth methods of HgCdTe/Cd(Se)Te/Si by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) result in a dislocation density of mid 10⁶ cm⁻² to low 10⁷ cm⁻². Although the exact mechanism is unknown, it is well accepted that this high level of dislocation density leads to poorer long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal-plane array (FPA) performance, especially in terms of operability. We have conducted a detailed study of ex situ cycle annealing of HgCdTe/Cd(Se)Te/Si material in order to reduce the total number of dislocations present in as-grown material. We have successfully and consistently shown a reduction of one half to one full order of magnitude in the number of dislocations as counted by etch pit density (EPD) methods. Additionally, we have observed a corresponding decrease in x-ray full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of ex situ annealed HgCdTe/Si layers. Among all parameters studied, the total number of annealing cycles seems to have the greatest impact on dislocation reduction. Currently, we have obtained numerous HgCdTe/Si layers which have EPD values measuring ~1 × 10⁶ cm⁻² after completion of thermal cycle annealing. Preliminary Hall measurements indicate that electrical characteristics of the material can be maintained.     

LWIR HgCdTe on Si detector performance and analysis

We have fabricated a series of 256 pixel×256 pixel, 40 μm pitch LWIR focal plane arrays (FPAs) with HgCdTe grown on (211) silicon substrates using MBE grown CdTe and CdSeTe buffer layers. The detector arrays were fabricated using Rockwell Scientific’s double layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) diode architecture. The 78 K detector and focal plane array (FPA) performance are discussed in terms of quantum efficiency (QE), diode dark current and dark current operability. The FPA dark current and the tail in the FPA dark current operability histograms are discussed in terms of the HgCdTe epitaxial layer defect density and the dislocation density of the individual diode junctions. Individual diode zero bias impedance and reverse bias current-voltage (I-V) characteristics vs. temperature are discussed in terms of the dislocation density of the epitaxial layer, and the misfit stress in the epitaxial multilayer structure, and the thermal expansion mismatch in the composite substrate. The fundamental FPA performance limitations and possible FPA performance improvements are discussed in terms of basic device physics and material properties.     

Shear deformation and strain relaxation in HgCdTe on (211) CdZnTe

Shear strain is present in Hg_0.68Cd_0.32Te epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (211)-oriented Cd_1−yZn_yTe substrates. Differences in the substrate zinc composition led to lattice mismatch between the epitaxial layer and the substrate. The shear strain induced by the mismatch was measured using reciprocal space maps in the symmetric (422) and asymmetric (511) and (333) reflections. In addition, strain relaxation through the formation of misfit dislocations was confirmed using double crystal x-ray topography. Both the shear strain and the misfit dislocation density increased with increasing mismatch between the epitaxial layer and the substrate. Lattice-matched layers were free of misfit dislocations and exhibited triple axis diffraction rocking curve widths of approximately 6 arcsec. The combination of a thick epitaxial layer, a low index substrate, and the potential for lattice mismatch indicates that both shear strains and misfit dislocations must be considered in the structural analysis of HgCdTe/CdZnTe heterostructures.     

Molecular beam epitaxial HgCdTe material characteristics and device performance: Reproducibility status

Extensive material, device, and focal plane array (FPA) reproducibility data are presented to demonstrate significant advances made in the molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) HgCdTe technology. Excellent control of the composition, growth rate, layer thickness, doping concentration, dislocation density, and transport characteristics has been demonstrated. A change in the bandgap is readily achieved by adjusting the beam fluxes, demonstrating the flexibility of MBE in responding to the needs of infrared detection applications in various spectral bands. High performance of photodiodes fabricated on MBE HgCdTe layers reflects on the overall quality of the grown material. The photodiodes were planar p-on-n junctions fabricated by As ion-implantation into indium doped, n-type, in situ grown double layer heterostructures. At 77K, diodes fabricated on MBE Hg_1−xCd_xTe with x ≈ 0.30 (λ_co ≈ 5.6 μm), x ≈ 0.26 (λ_co ≈ 7 μm), x ≈ 0.23 (λ_co ≈ 10 μm) show R₀A products in excess of 1 x 10⁶ ohm-cm², 7 x 10⁵ ohm-cm², and 3 x 10² ohm-cm², respectively. These devices also show high quantum efficiency. As a means to assess the uniformity of the MBE HgCdTe material, two-dimensional 64 x 64 and 128 x 128 mosaic detector arrays were hybridized to Si multiplexers. These focal plane arrays show an operability as high as 97% at 77K for the x ≈ 0.23 spectral band and 93% at 77K for the x ≈ 0.26 spectral band. The operability is limited partly by the density of void-type defects that are present in the MBE grown layers and are easily identified under an optical microscope.     

Small two-dimensional arrays of mid-wavelength infrared HgCdTe diodes fabricated by reactive ion etching-induced p-to-n-type conversion

The reactive ion etching (RIE) technique has been shown to produce high-performance n-on-p junctions by localized-type conversion of p-type mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) HgCdTe material. This paper presents variable area analysis of n-on-p HgCdTe test diodes and data on two-dimensional (2-D) arrays fabricated by RIE. All devices were fabricated on x = 0.30 to 0.31 liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) grown p-type (p = ∼1 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³) HgCdTe wafers obtained from Fermionics Corp. The diameter of the circular test diodes varied from 50 μm to 600 μm. The 8 × 8 arrays comprised of 50 μm × 50 μm devices on a 100-μm pitch, and all devices were passivated with 5000 ? of thermally deposited CdTe. At temperatures >145 K, all devices are diffusion limited; at lower temperatures, generation-recombination (G-R) current dominates. At the lowest measurement temperature (77 K), the onset of tunneling can be observed. At 77 K, the value of 1/R₀A for large devices shows quadratic dependence on the junction perimeter/area ratio (P/A), indicating the effect of surface leakage current at the junction perimeter, and gives an extracted bulk value for R₀A of 2.8 × 10⁷ Ω cm². The 1/R₀A versus P/A at 195 K exhibits the well-known linear dependence that extrapolates to a bulk value for R₀A of 17.5 Ω cm². Measurements at 77 K on the small 8 × 8 test arrays were found to demonstrate very good uniformity with an average R₀A = 1.9 × 10⁶ Ω cm² with 0° field of view and D* = 2.7 × 10¹¹cm Hz^1/2/W with 60° field of view looking at 300 K background.     

Higher Dislocation Density of Arsenic-Doped HgCdTe Material

There is a well-known direct negative correlation between dislocation density and optoelectronic device performance. Reduction in detector noise associated with dislocations is an important target for improvement of mercury cadmium telluride (Hg_1?x Cd _x Te)-based material in order to broaden its use in the very long-wavelength infrared (VLWIR) regime. The lattice mismatch and differences in physical properties between substrates and the epitaxial Hg_1?x Cd _x Te layers cause an increased threading dislocation density. As demonstrated in this work, the presence of arsenic impurities via p-type doping in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown epitaxial crystal structure increases the etch pit density (EPD) of Hg_1?x Cd _x Te grown on Si substrates but not on CdZnTe substrates. This EPD increase is not observed in indium n-type-doped Hg_1?x Cd _x Te grown on either Si or CdZnTe substrates. This trend is also seen in layers with different cadmium compositions. All of the EPD variations of the structures studied here are shown to be independent of the MBE machine used to grow the structure. The fundamentals of this higher EPD are not yet completely understood.     

Ten-inch molecular beam epitaxy production system for HgCdTe growth

Growth of Hg_1−xCd_xTe by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been under development since the early 1980s at Rockwell Scientific Company (RSC), formerly the Rockwell Science Center; and we have shown that high-performance and highly reproducible MBE HgCdTe double heterostructure planar p-on-n devices can be produced with high throughput for various single- and multiplecolor infrared applications. In this paper, we present data on Hg_1−xCd_xTe epitaxial layers grown in a ten-inch production MBE system. For growth of HgCdTe, standard effusion cells containing CdTe and Te were used, in addition to a Hg source. The system is equipped with reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and spectral ellipsometry in addition to other fully automated electrical and optical monitoring systems. The HgCdTe heterostructures grown in our large ten-inch Riber 49 MBE system have outstanding structural characteristics with etch-pit densities (EPDs) in the low 10⁴ cm⁻² range, Hall carrier concentration in low 10¹⁴ cm⁻³, and void density <1000 cm². The epilayers were grown on near lattice-matched (211)B Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te substrates. High-performance mid wavelength infrared (MWIR) devices were fabricated with R₀A values of 7.2×10⁶ Ω-cm² at 110 K, and the quantum efficiency without an antireflection coating was 71.5% for cutoff wavelength of 5.21 μm at 37 K. For short wavelength infrared (SWIR) devices, an R₀A value of 9.4×10⁵ Ω-cm² at 200 K was obtained and quantum efficiency without an antireflection coating was 64% for cutoff wavelength of 2.61 μm at 37 K. These R₀A values are comparable to our trend line values in this temperature range.     

The thermal stability of lattice mismatched InGaAs grown on patterned GaAs

Patterning and etching substrates into mesas separated by trenches before the growth of mismatched (by about 1% or less) epitaxial layers considerably reduces the interface misfit dislocation density when the layer thickness exceeds the critical thickness. Such films are in a metastable state, since misfit dislocations allow the epitaxial layers to relax to an in-plane lattice parameter closer to its strain-free value. Thermal annealing (from 600 to 850° C) has been used to study the stability of these structures to explore the properties of the misfit dislocations and their formation. The misfit dislocation density was determined by counting the dark line defects at the InGaAs/GaAs interface, imaged by scanning cathodoluminescence. InGaAs epitaxial layers grown on patterned GaAs substrates by organometallic chemical vapor deposition possess a very small as-grown misfit dislocation density, and even after severe annealing for up to 300 sec at 800° C the defect density is less than 1500 cm⁻¹ for a In_0.04Ga_0.96As, 300 nm thick layer (about 25% of the dislocation density found in unpatterned material that has not been annealed). The misfit dislocation nucleation properties of the material are found to depend on the trench depth; samples made with deeper (greater than 0.5 μm) trenches are more stable. Molecular beam epitaxially grown layers are much less stable than the above material; misfit dislocations nucleate in much greater numbers than in comparable organo-metallic chemical vapor deposited material at all of the temperatures studied.     

Contribution of dislocations to the zero-bias resistance-area product of LWIR HgCdTe photodiodes at low temperatures

Dislocations in the base material are shown to significantly influence zero-bias impedance of long wavelength infrared HgCdTe photodiodes by acting as a shunt, and by influencing their minority carrier lifetime. Consequently, temperature dependence of zero-bias resistance-area product (R/sub 0/A) of these photodiodes can be described very well over a broad temperature range, down to 25 K, after taking into account the temperature and dislocation dependence of the minority carrier lifetime in addition to the shunt resistance contribution of dislocations. Further, based on the theoretical prediction that the shunt resistance contribution of a dislocation is a sensitive function of the magnitude of the charge around its core, it is proposed that the scatter of the R/sub 0/A experimental data in diodes with dislocation densities of less than 1/spl times/10/sup 7/ cm/sup -2/ could be the result of statistical variations in the charge around the core of dislocations. Interaction of dislocations among themselves may be responsible for deviations above dislocation densities of 1/spl times/10/sup 7/ cm/sup -2/.     

Dislocation Analysis in (112)B HgCdTe/CdTe/Si

High-quality (112)B HgCdTe/Si epitaxial films with a dislocation density of ??9 × 10⁵ cm^?2 as determined by etch pit density (EPD) measurements have been obtained by thermal cyclic annealing (TCA). The reduction of the dislocation density by TCA has led to a simple rate-equation-based model to explain the relationship between dislocation density and TCA parameters (time, temperature, and number of anneals). In this model, dislocation density reduction is based on dislocation coalescence and annihilation, assumed to be caused by dislocation motion under thermal and misfit stress. An activation energy for dislocation motion in n-type (112)B HgCdTe/Si of 0.93 ± 0.1 eV was determined. This model with no adjustable parameters was used to predict recent TCA annealing results.     

Status of LWIR HgCdTe-on-Silicon FPA Technology

The use of silicon as an alternative substrate to bulk CdZnTe for epitaxial growth of HgCdTe for infrared detector applications is attractive because of potential cost savings as a result of the large available sizes and the relatively low cost of silicon substrates. However, the potential benefits of silicon as a substrate have been difficult to realize because of the technical challenges of growing low-defect-density HgCdTe on silicon where the lattice mismatch is ∼19%. This is especially true for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe detectors where the performance can be limited by the high (∼5 × 10⁶ cm⁻²) dislocation density typically found in HgCdTe grown on silicon. The current status of LWIR (9 μm to 11 μm at 78 K) HgCdTe on silicon focal-plane arrays (FPAs) is reviewed. Recent progress is covered including improvements in noise equivalent differential temperature (NEDT) and array operability. NEDT of <25 mK and NEDT operability >99% are highlighted for 640 × 480 pixel, 20-μm-pitch FPAs.