Transient behavior of Hg1−xCdxTe film growth on 3° off-(100) CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport

The effects of substrate misorientation on Hg_1−xCd_xTe films, deposited on 3° off-(100) CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport (CVT), have been studied for the first time using a transient growth technique. The morphological evolution of Hg_1−xCd_xTe films deposited on the vicinal CdTe substrates at 545°C shows a transition from three-dimensional islands to two-dimensional layer growth. The time and thickness required for the above morphological transition is about 0.75 h and 7 μm, respectively, under present experimental conditions. The pronounced long-range-terrace surface morphology of the Hg_1−xCd_xTe films illustrates the strong effects of the misorientation of the CdTe substrates and of the growth kinetics on the CVT growth of this hetero-epitaxial system. The transient behavior of the surface morphology, of the surface composition, and of the growth rate all reveal the influences of the 3° misorientation of the (100) CdTe substrates on the Hg_1−xCd_xTe epitaxy. The experimental mass flux results of the Hg_1−xCd_xTe-HgI₂ CVT system under transient and steady-state conditions can be related to the surface kinetics and to the thermodynamic properties of the system. The combined results show that the interface kinetics are not fixed in the transient regime and that they are coupled to the vapor mass transport.     

HgCdZnTe quaternary materials for lattice-matched two-color detectors

As the number of bands and the complexity of HgCdTe multicolor structures increases, it is desirable to minimize the lattice mismatch at growth interfaces within the device structure in order to reduce or eliminate mismatch dislocations at these interfaces and potential threading dislocations that can degrade device performance. To achieve this we are investigating the use of Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe quaternary alloys which have an independently tunable lattice constant and bandgap. Lattice matching in Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe structures can be achieved using small additions of Zn (y<0.015) to HgCdTe ternary alloys. We have investigated some of the basic properties of Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe materials with x≈0.31 and 0≤y≤0.015. The quaternary layers were grown on (112)CdZnTe substrates using MBE and the amount of Zn in the layers was determined from calibrated SIMS measurements. As expected, the lattice constant decreased and the bandgap increased as Zn was added to HgCdTe to form Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe. Hall-effect results for both n-type (In) and p-type (As) Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe layers were very similar to HgCdTe control samples. We have also utilized x-ray rocking curve measurements with (246) asymmetric reflections as a novel sensitive technique to determine the correct amount of Zn needed to achieve lattice matching at an interface. MWIR/LWIR n-p-n two-color triple-layer heterojunction structures were grown to evaluate the effects of minimizing the lattice mismatch between the widest bandgap p-type collector layer, using Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe, and the HgCdTe MWIR and LWIR collector layers and compared to structures that did not incorporate the quaternary. Sequential mode two-color detectors were fabricated using a 256 × 256, 30 μm unit cell design. There were several interesting findings. Macro defects predominantly affected the LWIR band (Band 2) operability and had little effect on the MWIR band (Band 1). The incorporation of Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe p-type collector layers had little effect on MWIR detector performance, but overall the LWIR performance was generally better. These initial detector results indicate that the use of Hg_1−x−yCd_xZn_yTe alloys in multicolor detector structures are potentially promising and should be pursued further.     

An improved method for Hg<Subscript>1−x</Subscript>Cd<Subscript>x</Subscript>Te surface chemistry characterization

Hg_1−xCd_xTe surface chemistry has been studied extensively with well-known tools such as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) in order to advance detector array operability, performance, and yield. Raytheon Vision Systems has pioneered the first application of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) as a Hg_1−xCd_xTe surface diagnostic tool to provide unprecedented analysis capability, including analyzing a 0.5-μm-diameter spot, high mass resolution, elemental and molecular composition scrutiny, applicability to insulators, and surface film sensitivity in the part per million range. In this study, data are presented illustrating surface chemistry geometry effects and photoresist redeposition due to common Hg_1−xCd_xTe processing steps including photolithography, bromine etching, and photoresist stripping.     

Arrays of 128×128 photodetectors based on HgCdTe layers and multilayer heterostructures with GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

A technology has been elaborated and photodetector modules based on Hg_1−x Cd_xTe/GaAs heterostructures and GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum-well structures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy were fabricated for the 3–5 and 8–12 μm spectral ranges. The photosensitive HgCdTe layers were grown on the GaAs substrates with the intermediate buffer layer of CdZnTe. To decrease the surface effect on the recombination processes, the graded-gap Hg_1−x Cd_xTe layers with x increasing towards the surface were grown. A silicon multiplexer was designed and fabricated by CMOS/CCD technology with a frame rate of 50 Hz. The hybrid microassembly of the photodetector array and the multiplexer was produced by group cold welding on indium columns while monitoring the connection process. The fabricated 128×128 modules based on HgCdTe layers with the cutoff wavelengths 6 and 8.7 μm had a temperature resolution of 0.02 K and 0.032 K, respectively, at a temperature of 78 K and a frame rate of 50 Hz. The photosensitive GaAs/AlGaAs multilayer quantum well structures were fabricated by MBE. It is shown that the technology developed allows 128×128 multielement photodetector arrays (λ_peak=8 μm) to be produced with a temperature resolution of 0.021 K and 0.06 K at operating temperatures of 54 K and 65 K, respectively. __________ Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 35, No. 9, 2001, pp. 1159–1166. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Ovsyuk, Sidorov, Vasil’ev, Shashkin.     

Effect of successive implantation of Ag+(Cu+) and Xe+ ions on the recombination properties of CdxHg1−x Te crystals

The effect of successive double implantation of Ag⁺(Cu⁺) and Xe⁺ ions on the recombination properties of Cd_xHg_1−x Te (0.2<x<0.3) crystals has been investigated. It is shown that after implantation of ions of one chemical element, followed by diffusion thermal annealing at temperatures below 150–200 K, recombination through local levels lying 30±5 meV below the conduction band bottom dominates. Successive double implantation of Ag⁺(Cu⁺) and Xe⁺ ions followed by diffusion thermal annealing changes the course of the temperature dependence of the lifetime of the nonequilibrium charge carriers. It was determined that for Cd_xHg_1−x Te crystals with x⋍0.20–0.25 in the temperature interval 700–200 K the lifetime of the nonequilibrium charge carriers is low (τ<0.15 μs) and does not depend on the temperature. For Cd_xHg_1−x Te crystals with x⋍0.3 recombination of nonequilibrium charge carriers occurs through two types of levels: in the temperature range 140–200 K — deep levels E _t1⋍E _c −51 meV and at lower temperatures (77–140 K) — through shallower levels E _t2⋍E _c −(16±2) meV. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 31, 786–789 (July 1997)     

Status of MBE technology for the flexible manufacturing of HgCdTe focal plane arrays

A robust process has been developed for the reproducible growth of in-situ doped Hg_1−xCd_xTe:As alloys by molecular beam epitaxy. Net hole concentrations in excess of 5 x 10¹⁷ cm⁻³, with peak mobilities >200 cm2/Vs were measured in Hg_0.74Cd_0.26Te:As films. The p-type layers were twin-free and consistently exhibit narrow x-ray rocking curves (<40 arc sec). The reproducible growth of small lots of p-on-n LWIR detector structures has been established. For a typical lot consisting of 13 layers, the average x-value of the n-type base layer was 0.226 with a standard deviation of 0.003. The lateral compositional uniformity across a 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm wafer was × = +- 0.0006. High performance p-on-n LWIR diodes were fabricated that exhibited R_oA_o values (0-fov at 78K) as large as 350 Q cm2 at 10.4 μm.     

Characterization of physical-chemical drivers of Hg1−xGdxTe etch rate using time of flight—Secondary ion mass spectrometry and optical interferometry

Time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is a Hg_1−xCd_xTe surface diagnostic tool with unprecedented analysis capabilities, including analyzing a 0.5-μm diameter spot, high mass resolution, elemental and molecular composition scrutiny, applicability to insulators, and surface film sensitivity in the part per million range. The present investigation demonstrates the power of TOF-SIMS when coupled with optical interferometry in understanding process reproducibility and uniformity critical to the fabrication of Hg_1−xCd_xTe detector arrays at RVS. Previous published works and unpublished studies at RVS have shown that geometry and fluid dynamics influence the lateral uniformity of surface chemistry, topography, and etch rates. By combining a set of photolithographically delineated features having various relative areas of photoresist-coated and uncoated regions in varying proximity to each other with various wet etching chemistries, we have exploited TOF-SIMS interrogation along with optical interferometry to investigate physical-chemical drivers of etch rate variation with window geometry orientation with respect to vertical gravity etchant fluid draining direction and proximity to other structures. This study has given us the ability to deconvolve two important etch rate drivers (depletion of etchant species and cross-contamination of etched windows) and elucidate their roles in enhancing and diminishing etch rates for features having far and close proximities to neighboring structures, respectively. This information allows a more judicious optimization of processing technology.     

Percolation problem in boron—Implanted mercury cadmium telluride

We used high-resolution x-ray diffraction to measure precisely structural modifications in variously composed Hg_1−xCd_xTe layers which were fabricated by different growth techniques and subjected to boron implantation to form p-n junctions. Analysis of implantation-induced features in the diffraction profiles allowed us to deduce the interstitials concentration remaining in the sample interior and, thus, to obtain important information on post-implantation defect migration. As a result, a percolation problem in the migration of Cd interstitials was discovered in samples with x<x_c (x_c=0.265 is the percolation threshold). Due to the percolation problem, the implanted samples having Cd content below and above x_c exhibited very different surface recovery, which was visualized by high resolution scanning electron microscopy. It was found that additional annealing at 250–300°C stimulates diffusion of formerly locked Cd interstitials and leads to the change in the conductivity type (n-p) at the expense of remaining non-compensated vacancies. The percolation problem in samples with x < x_c seems to be responsible for limited mobility of implanted boron and difficulties in boron activation in Hg_1−xCd_xTe-based devices for 8–12 μm atmospheric transparency window.     

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.     

Correlation between visual defects and increased dark current in large-area Hg1−xCdxTe photodiodes

The Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) program [an instrument on the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)] requires photodiodes with spectral cutoffs denoted by short-wavelength infrared [γ_c(98 K) ∼5.1 μm], midwavelength infrared [γ_c(98 K) ∼9.1 μm], and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) [γ_c(81 K) ∼15.5 μm]. The CrIS instrument also requires large-area (850-μm-diameter) photodiodes with state-of-art performance. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is used to grow n-type short-wavelength infrared, midwavelength infrared, or LWIR Hg_1−xCd_xTe on latticematched CdZnTe. Detectors with p-type implants 7 μm in diameter are used to constitute the 850-μm-diameter lateral collection diodes (LCDs). The photodiode architecture is the double-layer planar heterostructure architecture. Quantum efficiency, I-V, R_d-V, and 1/f noise in photovoltaic Hg_1−xCd_xTe detectors are critical parameters that limit the sensitivity of infrared sounders. These are some of the parameters used to select photodiodes that will be part of the CrIS focal plane module (FPM). During fabrication of the FPM, the photodiodes are subject to a significant amount of handling while transitioning from part of newly processed Hg_1–xCd_xTe wafers to individual photodiodes mounted in a CrIS FPM ready to be flown on NPOESS. Quantum efficiency, I-V, noise, and visual inspections are performed at several steps in the detector’s journey. Initial I-V and visual inspections are conducted at the wafer level followed by I-V, noise, and quantum efficiency after dicing and mounting the photodiodes in leadless chip carriers (LCCs). A visual inspection is performed following removal of the detectors from the LCCs. Finally, the individual photodiodes are precision mounted on an FPM base, and I-V, noise, quantum efficiency, and visual inspections are performed again. Each step in the FPM fabrication process requires handling and environmental conditioning that can result in detector dark current and noise increase. Some photodiodes on the first flightlike FPMs fabricated exhibited an increase in dark current and noise characteristics at the FPM level as compared to the measurements performed when the photodiodes were in LCCs prior to integration into the FPM. The degradation observed resulted in an investigation to discern the cause of the performance degradation (baking at elevated temperatures, mechanical handling, electrical stress, etc.). This paper outlines the results of the study and the corrective actions that led to the successful manufacture of LWIR large detectors from material growth to insertion into flight FPMs for the CrIS program.     

Mid-wavelength infrared p-on-n Hg1−xCdxTe heterostructure detectors: 30–120 kelvin state-of-the-Art performance

We report on Hg_1−xCd_xTe mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) detectors grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on CdZnTe substrates. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of HgCdTe-MWIR devices and temperature dependence of focal-plane array (FPA) dark current have been investigated and compared with the most recent InSb published data. These MWIR p-on-n Hg_1−xCd_xTe/CdZnTe heterostructure detectors give outstanding performance, and at 68 K, they are limited by diffusion currents. For temperatures lower than 68 K, in the near small-bias region, another current is dominant. This current has lower sensitivity to temperature and most likely is of tunneling origin. High-performance MWIR devices and arrays were fabricated with median R_oA values of 3.96 × 10¹⁰ Ω-cm² at 78 K and 1.27 × 10¹² Ω-cm² at 60 K; the quantum efficiency (QE) without an antireflection (AR) coating was 73% for a cutoff wavelength of 5.3 μm at 78 K. The QE measurement was performed with a narrow pass filter centered at 3.5 μm. Many large-format MWIR 1024 × 1024 FPAs were fabricated and tested as a function of temperature to confirm the ultra-low dark currents observed in individual devices. For these MWIR FPAs, dark current as low as 0.01 e⁻/pixel/sec at 58 K for 18 × 18 μm pixels was measured. The 1024 × 1024 array operability and AR-coated QE at 78 K were 99.48% and 88.3%, respectively. A comparison of these results with the state-of-the-art InSb-detector data suggests MWIR-HgCdTe devices have significantly higher performance in the 30–120 K temperature range. The InSb detectors are dominated by generation-recombination (G-R) currents in the 60–120 K temperature range because of a defect center in the energy gap, whereas MWIR-HgCdTe detectors do not exhibit G-R-type currents in this temperature range and are limited by diffusion currents.     

Optical absorption properties of HgCdTe epilayers with uniform composition

Hg_1−xCd_xTe is an important material for high-performance infrared detection for a wide spectral range, from 1.7 μm to beyond 14 μm. An accurate understanding of the relationship between optical absorption and bandgap energy of this semiconductor alloy is needed for pre-process layer screening, detector design, and interpretation of detector performance. There is currently a disparity among the infrared detector community in relating the optical absorption properties to HgCdTe alloy composition and bandgap energy. This disagreement may stem from a misunderstanding of absorption properties, where existing models were developed decades ago using either bulk material or material with nonuniform composition. In this work, we have initiated an investigation of the optical absorption properties of HgCdTe with uniform composition grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) with in-situ compositional control via spectroscopic ellipsometry. The absorption properties show unique characteristics in the bandtail region, with insignificant temperature dependence. The absorption properties above the bandgap suggest a hyperbolic bandstructure as opposed to the common assumption of a parabolic bandstructure. The temperature dependence of the bandgap energy shows good agreement to the commonly used expression developed previously by Hansen et al.     

Determination of individual layer composition and thickness in multilayer HgCdTe structures

The reproducible molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of dual-band Hg_1−xCd_xTe (MCT) heterostructures requires routine post-growth wafer analysis for constituent layer thickness and alloy composition, therefore, demanding nondestructive characterization techniques that offer quick data feedback. This paper reports a multilayer structure model, which can be least-square fit directly to either Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission or reflection spectra to provide individual layer thickness, alloy composition, and grading information for various complex structures. The model, we developed, is based on an accurate representation of both the real and imaginary parts of the MCT dielectric function across and above E _g as a function of alloy composition. The parametric, MCT optical-dielectric function for compositions varying between x=0.17 to x=0.5 was developed in the range from 400 cm⁻¹ to 4,000 cm⁻¹, based on a semi-empirical model for the absorption coefficient and extrapolation of the refractive index across E _g . The model parameters were refined through simultaneous fits to multiple reflection and transmission data sets from as-grown, double-layer planar heterostructure (DLPH) structures of variable thickness. The multilayer model was tested on a variety of simple DLPH structures with thick absorber layers (>8 μm) and was compared against traditional FTIR analysis and cross-section optical microscopy and showed good agreement in both composition and thickness. Model fits to dual-color MCT data and subsequent analysis of the internal parameter correlation have demonstrated that error bars on absorber layer composition and thickness could be as low as ∼0.0005 and ∼0.02 μm, correspondingly.     

Optical absorption by transitions between subbands of light and heavy holes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Mn<Subscript>x</Subscript>Hg<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Te

Absorption spectra of p-Mn_xHg_1−x Te epitaxial films with x=0.12–0.19 in the wavelength range of 2–24 μm at 300 and 80 K were measured. The absorption caused by transitions of charge carriers between subbands of light and heavy holes is calculated according to Kane’s theory taking into account the effect of remote bands. The values of the effective masses of heavy and light holes are obtained as functions of solid-solution composition and temperature. The analysis of low-temperature absorption spectra was carried out; the ionization energy of the acceptor level is evaluated. __________ Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2002, pp. 49–51. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2002 by Nesmelova, Baryshev, Andreev. Deceased.     

Control of very-long-wavelength infrared HgCdTe detector-cutoff wavelength

Hg_1-xCd_xTe is an important material for infrared (IR) detection applications where the bandgap of the alloy varies from semimetal to 1.4 eV. The large variation in bandgap energy with HgCdTe composition causes difficulty in controlling detector-cutoff wavelength, particularly for the long-wavelength IR and very-long-wavelength infrared (VLWIR, greater than 12 μm) spectral bands. Our ability to control the HgCdTe composition and compositional profile during growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is improved significantly by using automated feedback control from spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements, where the standard deviation in the error in composition has improved by a factor of 5, from σ=0.0081 to σ=0.0016. To improve our ability to predict cutoff wavelength from IR transmission measurements, we have used a model of the absorption in HgCdTe to revise our past empirical cutoff relationship to include the effect of compositional grading. We have achieved a mean detector-cutoff wavelength of 14.1 μm and standard deviation of σ=0.25 μm for a series of 19 processed layers with a target cutoff of 14 μm. The excellent control in VLWIR detector cutoff we have observed is attributed to automated compositional control and an improved cutoff-prediction model.     

Long-wavelength photodiodes based on Ga1−x InxAsySb1−y wit composition near the miscibility boundary

The possibility of using liquid-phase epitaxy to obtain Ga_1−x In_xAs_ySb_1−y solid solutions isoperiodic with GaSb near the miscibility boundary is investigated. The effect of crystallographic orientation of the substrate on the composition of the solid solutions grown in this way is examined, and the indium concentration is observed to grow from 0.215 to 0.238 in the Ga_1−x In_xAs_ySb_1−y solid phase in the series of substrate orientations (100), (111)A, (111)B. A change in the composition of the solid solution leads to a shift of the long-wavelength edge of the spectral distribution of the photosensitivity. The use of a GaSb (111)B substrate made it possible, without lowering the epitaxy temperature, to increase the indium content in the solid phase to 23.8% and to create long-wavelength photodiodes with spectral photosensitivity threshold λ _th=2.55 μm. The primary characteristics of such photodiodes are described, along with aspects of their fabrication. The proposed fabrication technique shows potential for building optoelectronic devices (lasers, LED’s, photodiodes) based on Ga_1−x In_xAs_ySb_1−y solid solutions with red boundary as high as 2.7 μm. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 33, 249–253 (February 1999)     

Characterization of HgCdTe Diodes on Si Substrates Using Temperature-Dependent Current-Voltage Measurements and Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy

Reverse current in diodes can be dominated by generation processes, depending exponentially on temperature according to the rate-limiting step in the generation process. In this report, the current-voltage-temperature (IVT) relationship is analyzed for several midwave infrared and long-wave infrared (MWIR x = 0.295, LWIR x = 0.233) Hg_1−x Cd _x Te (MCT) diodes. The energy varied from diode to diode. At high reverse biases, the energy tends toward the band gap energy. Close to zero bias, the energy ranged from 0.06 to 0.1 eV. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) showed a broad peak centered at 55–80 K for the MWIR MCT. Comparison of the DLTS spectrum to a simulation based on the energy and capture cross section from a rate window analysis shows that the peak is a band of traps. The capacitance transient amplitude increased as the filling pulse increased from 1 μs to 0.1 s, consistent with capture at a dislocation. A shift to lower temperatures for the peak was also observed when the diodes are cooled under forward bias. The shift is reversible, indicating that the traps consist at least partially of a bistable defect.     

VLWIR HgCdTe detector current-voltage analysis

This article details current-voltage characteristics for a very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) Hg_1−x Cd_xTe detector from Raytheon Vision Systems with a cutoff wavelength of 20.0 μm at 28 K. In this article, the VLWIR detector diode currents are modeled as a function of bias and temperature. This in-depth current model includes diffusion, band-to-band tunneling, trap-assisted tunneling (TAT), and shunt currents. The trap density has been extracted from the modeled TAT component of the current and was revealed to be relatively temperature-independent. An attempted incorporation of VLWIR detector susceptibility to stress has also been included through variation of the model parameter associated with the p-n junction electric field strength. This field variation accounts for stress induced piezoelectric fields. The current in this VLWIR detector was found to be diffusion-limited under much of the temperature and bias ranges analyzed. This modeling allows the scrutiny of both the dominant current-limiting mechanism and the magnitudes of the various current components as a function of both bias and temperature, allowing the straightforward determination of the ideal operating conditions for a given detector.     

Performance limitation of short wavelength infrared InGaAs and HgCdTe photodiodes

The carrier lifetimes in In_xGa_1−xAs (InGaAs) and Hg_1−xCd_xTe (HgCdTe) ternary alloys for radiative and Auger recombination are calculated for temperature 300K in the short wavelength range 1.5<λ<3.7 μm. Due to photon recycling, an order of magnitude enhancements in the radiative lifetimes over those obtained from the standard van Roosbroeck and Shockley expression, has been assumed. The possible Auger recombination mechanisms (CHCC, CHLH, and CHSH processes) in direct-gap semiconductors are investigated. In both n-type ternary alloys, the carrier lifetimes are similar, and competition between radiative and CHCC processes take place. In p-type materials, the carrier lifetimes are also comparable, however the most effective channels of Auger mechanism are: CHSH process in InGaAs, and CHLH process in HgCdTe. Next, the performance of heterostructure p-on-n photovoltaic devices are considered. Theoretically predicted R_oA values are compared with experimental data reported by other authors. In_0.53Ga_0.47As photodiodes have shown the device performance within a factor often of theoretical limit. However, the performance of InGaAs photodiodes decreases rapidly at intermediate wavelengths due to mismatch-induced defects. HgCdTe photodiodes maintain high performance close to the ultimate limit over a wider range of wavelengths. In this context technology of HgCdTe is considerably advanced since the same lattice parameter of this alloy is the same over wide composition range.     

Temperature,thickness, and interfacial composition effects on the absorption properties of (Hg,Cd)Te epilayers grown by liquid-phase epitaxy on CdZnTe

Transmission spectra of liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) Hg_1-xCd_xTe with Cd mole fractions in the range of 0.23<x<0.30 have been obtained as a function of temperature and thickness. The results are described using a model consisting of exponential (Urbach) absorption in the band tail region and band-to-band absorption, predicted by a Kane k p model, for the above band gap region. Modifications to the Urbach and transmission expressions are found to be necessary to properly describe the shape, temperature, and thickness dependence of the spectra. A known composition gradient was found to be sufficient to describe the spectra obtained for thin (<20-μm) samples.