Long-wavelength 640×486 GaAs-AlGaAs quantum well infraredphotodetector snap-shot camera

A 9-μm cutoff 640×486 snap-shot quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) camera has been demonstrated. The performance of this QWIP camera is reported including indoor and outdoor imaging. The noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 36 mK has been achieved at 300 K background with f/2 optics. This is in good agreement with expected focal plane array sensitivity due to the practical limitations on charge handling capacity of the multiplexer, read noise, bias voltage, and operating temperature     

IR detection by depletion of trapped charge in localized impurity states of an extrinsic semiconductor

Recently we have described a new mode of IR detection which utilizes charge storage in localized levels of an extrinsic semiconductor at low temperatures. This method is based on field-assisted impurity photoionization. IR photoionization depletes the population of stored charge in localized impurity states. The integration takes place inside the bulk of the semiconductor. A large negative going pulse causes rapid field ionization of the remaining charge after an IR exposure. Readout is accomplished by measuring this ejected charge. Using a cryogenically cooled monochromator, we have studied the spectral response and its field dependence. Extremely low dark currents (<3×10^?18 A) permit IR integration times of up to 12 hours or more. For the first time, significant photoresponse is obtained from a cryogenic Si:P detector at wavelengths up to 43 μm, well beyond the nominal long wavelength cutoff of 27 μm.     

Redshifting and broadening of quantum-well infrared photodetector'sresponse via impurity-free vacancy disordering

The partial intermixing of the well and barrier materials offers unique opportunities to shift locally the bandgap of quantum-well (QW) structures. We have demonstrated redshifting and broadening of the wavelength responses of bound-to-continuum GaAs and InP based quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIP's) after growth via impurity-free vacancy disordering (IFVD). A comprehensive set of experiments is conducted on QWIP's fabricated from both as-grown and multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structures. Compared to the as-grown detector, the peak spectral responses of the disordered detectors were shifted to longer wavelengths. The peak absolute response of the disordered GaAs based QWIP is lower by almost a factor of four. However, the responsivity characteristics of the disordered InP based QWIP show no major degradation. In general, with the spectral broadening taken into account, the overall performance of the disordered QWIP's has not dropped significantly. Thus, the postgrowth control of the QW composition profiles by impurity-free vacancy disordering offers unique opportunities to fine tune various aspects of a photodetector's response. Theoretical calculations of the absorption coefficient spectrum are in excellent agreement with the experimental data     

Long-wavelength 256×256 GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well infraredphotodetector (QWIP) palm-size camera

A 9 μm cutoff 256×256 palm-size quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) camera weighing only 2.5 lbs, and using 5.5 W of power has been demonstrated. Excellent imagery, with a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 23 mK has been achieved. It is well known that QWIP has very low 1/f noise, high operability, and uniformity. As a result, this camera uses a prerecorded nonuniformity correction table (i.e., gains and offsets) stored in its read-only-memory during operation, which enabled the miniaturization of this camera. In this paper, we discuss the development of this very sensitive long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) camera based on a GaAs/AlGaAs QWIP focal plane array (FPA) and its performance in terms of quantum efficiency, NEΔT, MRDT, uniformity, and operability     

Quantum Dot Based Infrared Focal Plane Arrays

In the past decade, there has been active research on infrared detectors based on intersubband transitions in self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). In the past two years, at least four research groups have independently demonstrated focal plane arrays based on this technology. In this paper, the progress from the first raster scanned image obtained with a QD detector to the demonstration of a 640 512 imager based on self-assembled QDs is reviewed. In particular, emphasis will be placed on a novel quantum dots-in-a-well (DWELL) design, which represents a hybrid between a conventional quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) and a quantum-dot infrared photodetector (QDIP). In the DWELL detectors, the active region consists of InAs quantum dots embedded in an InGaAs quantum well. Like QDIPs, the DWELL detectors have 3-D confinement and display normal incidence operation while demonstrating reproducible ldquodial-in recipesrdquo for control over the operating wavelength, like QWIPs. Moreover, the DWELL detectors also have demonstrated bias-tunability and multicolor operation in the midwave infrared (MWIR, 3-5 ), long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-12 ), and very long wave infrared (VLWIR, ) regimes. Recently midformat 320 256 and 640 512 focal plane arrays (FPAs) with an NETD of 40 mK at have been reported. The paper will conclude with a perspective on the future directions on the research on QDIP FPA including enhanced functionality and higher operating temperatures.     

640×486 long-wavelength two-color GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wellinfrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array camera

We have designed and fabricated an optimized long-wavelength/very-long wavelength two-color quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) device structure. The device structure was grown on a 3-in semi-insulating GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The wafer was processed into several 640×486 format monolithically integrated 8-9 and 14-15 μm two-color (or dual wavelength) QWIP focal plane arrays (FPAs). These FPAs were then hybridized to 640×486 silicon CMOS readout multiplexers. A thinned (i.e., substrate removed) FPA hybrid was integrated into a liquid helium cooled dewar for electrical and optical characterization and to demonstrate simultaneous two-color imagery. The 8-9 μm detectors in the FPA have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 70 K operating temperature for 300 K background with f/2 cold stop. The 14-15 μm detectors of the FPA reaches BLIP at 40 K operating temperature under the same background conditions. In this paper we discuss the performance of this long-wavelength dualband QWIP FPA in terms of quantum efficiency, detectivity, noise equivalent temperature difference (NEΔT), uniformity, and operability     

Photoresponse model for Si1-xGex/Siheterojunction internal photoemission infrared detector

A photoresponse model has been developed for the Si_1-xGe_x/Si heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) infrared detector at wavelengths corresponding to photon energies less than the Fermi energy. A Si_0.7Ge_0.3/Si HIP detector with a cutoff wavelength of 23 μm and an emission coefficient of 0.4 eV^-1 has been demonstrated. The model agrees with the measured detector response at λ>8 μm. The potential barrier determined by the model is in close agreement (difference ~4 meV) with the potential barrier determined by the Richardson plot, compared to the discrepancies of 20-50 meV usually observed for PtSi Schottky detectors     

7-μm-cutoff PtSi infrared detector for high sensitivity MWIRapplications

PtSi Schottky infrared detectors with extended cutoff wavelengths of 5.7, 6.6, and 7.3 μm have been demonstrated by incorporating a thin p+ layer at the PtSi-Si interface for high sensitivity medium wavelength infrared imaging applications. The response uniformity of the 7-μm cutoff detector was studied