Physical model for the dark current of quantum dot infrared photodetectors

Dark current has attracted much attention in recent years due to its great influence on the performance of the QDIP. In this paper, a model for the dark current is proposed with the consideration of the influence of the nanoscale electron transport on the dark current based on the dark current model proposed by H.C. Liu. The model permits calculating the dark current as a function of the electric field, and it can further estimate the photocurrent, the current responsivity and the detectivity via the current equilibrium equation under the dark condition. The results obtained show a good agreement with the experimental results and manifest the validity of the proposed model.     

Performance improvement of quantum dot infrared photodetectors through modeling

This paper presents a method to evaluate and improve the performance of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs). We proposed a device model for QDIPs. The developed model accounts for the self-consistent potential distribution, features of the electron capture and transport in realistic QDIPs in dark and illumination conditions. This model taking the effect of donor charges on the spatial distribution of the electric potential in the QDIP active region. The model is used for the calculation of the dark current, photocurrent and detectivity as a function of the structural parameters such as applied voltage, doping QD density, QD layers, and temperature. It explains strong sensitivity of dark current to the density of QDs and the doping level of the active region. In order to confirm our models and their validity on the practical applications, a comparison between the results obtained by proposed models and that experimentally published are conducted and full agreement is observed. Results show the effectiveness of methodology introduced.     

Responsivity–dark current relationship of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs)

We studied the responsivity–dark current relationship of quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP) devices published by several research groups. We found that the dark currents (I_ds) of these devices increased in proportion to the square of responsivity (R). Taking into consideration the photoconductive gain (g), which is considered to be equivalent to the noise gain (g_n), we found that this proportionality was because g (and g_n) is proportional to the square root of I_d. This result indicates that, in order to improve a device’s signal-noise characteristics, it is essential to improve its internal quantum efficiency.     

Comparative study between different quantum infrared photodetectors

This paper presents a theoretical analysis for the dark current characteristics of different quantum infrared photodetectors. These quantum photodetectors are quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIP), quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIP), and quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIP). Mathematical models describing these devices are introduced. The developed models accounts for the self-consistent potential distribution. These models are taking the effect of donor charges on the spatial distribution of the electric potential in the active region. The developed model is used to investigate the behavior of dark current with different values of performance parameters such as applied voltage, number of quantum wire (QR) layers, QD layers, lateral characteristic size, doping quantum wire density and temperature. It explains strong sensitivity of dark current to the density of QDs/QRs and the doping level of the active region. In order to confirm our models and their validity on the practical applications, a comparison between the results obtained by proposed models and that experimentally published are conducted and full agreement is observed. Several performance parameters are tuned to enhance the performance of these quantum photodetectors through the presented modeling. The resultant performance characteristics and comparison among them are presented in this work. From the obtained results we notice that the total dark current in the QRIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QWIPs. Moreover, main features of the QRIPs such as the large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current open the way for overcoming the problems of quantum dot infrared photodetectors.     

Electrical characterization of Ni/Au/AuGe contacts for quantum dot infrared photodetectors

Transfer length method (TLM) structures were fabricated to characterize the Ni/Au/AuGe-n⁺-GaAs contacts for quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP). Low specific contact resistance of the order of 10⁻⁵ Ω cm² indicates formation of a good Ohmic contact. The current-voltage measurements show that current transport is linear with no significant interfacial modification due to alloying of the contact metal. Low contact resistance makes this scheme suitable for the fabrication of heterostructure QDIP devices.     

Comparison studies of infrared photodetectors with a quantum-dot and a quantum-wire base

This paper mainly presents a theoretical analysis for the characteristics of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) and quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIPs). The paper introduces a unique mathematical model of solving Poisson’s equations with the usage of Lambert W functions for infrared detectors’ structures based on quantum effects. Even though QRIPs and QDIPs have been the subject of extensive researches and development during the past decade, it is still essential to implement theoretical models allowing to estimate the ultimate performance of those detectors such as photocurrent and its figure-of-merit detectivity vs. various parameter conditions such as applied voltage, number of quantum wire layers, quantum dot layers, lateral characteristic size, doping density, operation temperature, and structural parameters of the quantum dots (QDs), and quantum wires (QRs). A comparison is made between the computed results of the implemented models and fine agreements are observed. It is concluded from the obtained results that the total detectivity of QDIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QRIPs and main features of the QRIPs such as large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current of QRIP which allows for overcoming the problems in the QDIPs. This confirms what is evaluated before in the literature. It is evident that by increasing the QD/QR absorption volume in QDIPs/QRIPs as well as by separating the dark current and photocurrents, the specific detectivity can be improved and consequently the devices can operate at higher temperatures. It is an interesting result and it may be benefit to the development of QDIP and QRIP for infrared sensing applications.     

Detectivity dependence of quantum dot infrared photodetectors on temperature

The detectivity of Quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) has always attracted a lot attention as a very important performance parameter. In the paper, based on the theoretical model for the detectivity with the consideration of the common influence of the microscale electron transport, the nanoscale electron transport and the self-consistent potential distribution of the electrons, the dependence of the detectivity of the QDIP on temperature is discussed by analyzing the influence of the temperature on the average electrons number in a quantum dot. Specifically, the average electrons number in a quantum dot shows different change trends (from the increase to decrease) with the increase of the temperature, but the detectivity presents the single decrease trend with the temperature, which can provide the designers with the theoretical guidance for the performance optimization of the QDIP devices.     

基于周期反转模式的表面暗电流抑制

为了抑制电子倍增CCD的表面暗电流,运用Shockley-Read-Hall理论解释了表面暗电流的产生过程,通过曲线拟合建立了表面暗电流的理论模型,定量分析了电子倍增CCD从反转模式切换到非反转模式后表面暗电流的恢复特征时间.根据这一时间特性提出了周期反转模式的概念,在信号积分期里对成像区时钟进行调制,加入周期反转脉冲,使器件以小于表面暗电流恢复特征时间的周期在反转与非反转模式之间切换.仿真结果表明,随着周期反转频率的提高.表面暗电流明显减小.当时钟周期为0.2 ms时,平均表面暗电流降低到0.051 nA/cm2,接近反转模式的水平,与理论分析完全一致,验证了周期反转模式的可行性.     

A study of the dark currents of InSb charge injection devices

The dark currents of InSb metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) charge injection devices (CIDs) in the temperature range 30 to 120K are studied. It is found that a thermal-generating process dominates the dark current in the high temperature region. When the device is under small bias voltage, a bump in the trap emission current appears below 70K. This current is due to carrier capture and emission processes of a hole trap state located in the bulk material, and the measured activation energy is 50meV. For larger bias conditions, the band-to-band tunnelling current gradually overcomes the trap emission current. It smears out the bump in the trap emission current, and shows a slightly temperature-dependent behaviour in the plot. The effects of field electrodes are also studied. It is found from experimental results that the edge of the electric field around the device periphery plays an important role in the band-to-band tunnelling process, and a field electrode with suitable bias can improve the dark current response drastically.     

Numerical and Experimental Study on the Device Geometry Dependence of Performance of Heterjunction Phototransistors

Heterojunction phototransistors(HPTs)with scaling emitters have a higher optical gain compared to HPTs with normal emitters.However,to quantitativel.y describe the relationship between the emitter-absorber area ratio(A_e/A_a)and the performance of HPTs,and to find the optimum value of A_e/A_a for the geometric structure design,we develop an analytical model for the optical gain of HPTs.Moreover,five devices with different A_e/A_a are fabricated to verify the numerical analysis result.As is expected,the measurement result is in good agreement with the analysis model,both of them confirmed that devices with a smaller A_e/A_a exhibit higher optical gain.The device with area ratio of 0.0625 has the highest optical gain,which is two orders of magnitude larger than that of the device with area ratio of 1 at 3 V.However,the dark current of the device with the area ratio of 0.0625 is forty times higher than that of the device with the area ratio of 1.By calculating the signal-to-noise ratios(SNRs) of the devices,the optimal value of Ae/Aa can be obtained to be 0.16.The device with the area ratio of0.16 has the maximum SNR.This result can be used for future design principles for high performance HPTs.     

新型共轭聚合物PFO-BT15发光二极管的电老化研究

PFO-BT15是一种电致发光中心波长为550 nm的新型共轭高分子聚合物材料,将其制成发光二极管器件,结构为ITO玻璃/聚合物PEDOT(120 nm)/有机聚合物PFO-BT15(80 nm)/Ba(4 nm)/Al(200 nm),用环氧树脂对阴极侧进行了封装,以减少氧气和水分的进入,从而影响器件的发光性能。在室温环境下对同样的器件进行不同电流密度的电老化处理,记录器件的电流电压曲线,再对老化的样品做电致发光和喇曼光谱测试。实验发现：一方面,通过器件恒定电流的大小影响器件的电压变化速度;另一方面,器件经过一定长时间的电老化,电致发光中心波长变化较小。通过啦曼光谱的测试,推断是因为PEDOT阳极的破损导致了器件的最终发光失败,而器件发光层材料的结构保持相对稳定,说明这种结构的聚合物有着相对稳定的光电性能,对于提高材料发光的稳定性提供了有价值的信息,有助于其他高效发光材料的合成以及稳定性的提高。     

磁场对聚合物光电池中电流的影响

制备了结构为 ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Ca/Al的聚合物光电池器件,并在不同偏压下,分别测量了器件的光电流和暗电流随外加磁场的变化. 发现随外加磁场增加,光电流增强,暗电流减弱. 从聚合物光电池中光电流和暗电流的产生机制出发,对该现象进行了解释,认为外加磁场可以有效改变单重态极化子对和三重态极化子对之间的相对比例,进而使自由载流子浓度增加. 光生自由载流子浓度增加是光生电流增强的原因,而自由载流子与三重态激子的相互作用导致了暗电流减弱. 开路电压附近,光电流随磁场增加而增强可以近似 关键词： 聚合物光电池 磁场效应 光生电流 极化子对     

氮化镓基蓝光发光二极管伽马辐照的1/f噪声表征

通过电离辐照对氮化镓基蓝光发光二极管器件有源区光/暗电流产生机制的研究, 建立了电离辐照减小发光二极管有效输出功率电学模型.通过电离辐照对氮化镓基蓝光发光 二极管器件有源区1/f噪声影响机制的研究, 建立了电离辐照增大发光二极管1/f噪声的相关性模型.在I < 1 μA 的小注入区,空间电荷区的复合电流随辐照剂量的增加而增加. 同时, 随着电离辐照产生缺陷的增加, 1/f噪声幅度增大. 在 I> 1 mA 的大注入条件下, 由于串联电阻的影响占主导地位,表面复合速率和电流随辐照剂量的增加而增加.同时, 随着电离辐照产生缺陷的增加, 1/f噪声幅度增大.根据辐照前后电流电压试验结果噪声测试结论, 证实了实验结论与理论推导结果的一致性. 在1 μA < I < 5×10^-5 A 的中值电流情况下, 由于高能载流子散射相关的迁移率涨落与辐照新增缺陷引起的载流子数涨落竞争机制, 随着辐照剂量增大, 1/f噪声在频域变化没有明显规律. 但是, 通过1/f噪声时域多尺度熵复杂度分析方法, 得出随着辐照剂量增大, 1/f噪声时域多尺度熵复杂度的结果. 最终证实1/f噪声幅度可以敏感地反映小注入和大注入情况下氮化镓基蓝光发光二极管电离辐照的可靠性. 噪声幅值越大, 则说明辐照感应N_it越高, 暗电流相关的复合电流越大, 光电流相关的扩散电流比例减少, 使得器件发光效率、光输出功率等性能参数下降, 继而影响器件可靠性, 造成失效率显著增大. 1/f噪声时域多尺度熵复杂度可以敏感地反映中值电流情况下氮 化镓基蓝光发光二极管的电离辐照可靠性.多尺度熵复杂度越大, 则说明辐照感应越多, 复合电流越大,器件可靠性越差.本文结论提供了一种基于 1/f噪声的氮化镓基蓝光发光二极管电离辐照可靠性表征方法. 关键词： f噪声')" href="#">1/f噪声 电离辐照 氮化镓基蓝光发光二极管     

Demonstration of 640 × 512 pixels long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP) imaging focal plane array

We have exploited the artificial atom-like properties of epitaxially grown self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) for the development of high operating temperature long wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays (FPAs). QD infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) are expected to outperform quantum well infrared detectors (QWIPs) and are expected to offer significant advantages over II–VI material based FPAs. We have used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technology to grow multi-layer LWIR dot-in-a-well (DWELL) structures based on the InAs/InGaAs/GaAs material system. This hybrid quantum dot/quantum well device offers additional control in wavelength tuning via control of dot-size and/or quantum well sizes. DWELL QDIPs were also experimentally shown to absorb both 45° and normally incident light. Thus we have employed a reflection grating structure to further enhance the quantum efficiency. The most recent devices exhibit peak responsivity out to 8.1 μm. Peak detectivity of the 8.1 μm devices has reached 1 × 10¹⁰ Jones at 77 K. Furthermore, we have fabricated the first long-wavelength 640 × 512 pixels QDIP imaging FPA. This QDIP FPA has produced excellent infrared imagery with noise equivalent temperature difference of 40 mK at 60 K operating temperature.     

Characteristics analysis of quantum wire infrared photodetectors under both dark and illumination conditions

This paper presents a theoretical analysis for the characteristics of quantum wire infrared photodetectors (QRIPs). Mathematical model describing this device is introduced. Maple 4 software is used to device this model. The developed model is used to investigate the behavior of the device with different values of performance parameters such as number of quantum wire layers, lateral characteristic size, and temperature. The modeling results are validated against experimental published work and full agreements are obtained. Several performance parameters are tuned to enhance the performance of these quantum photodetectors through the presented modeling. The resultant performance characteristics and comparison among both quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) and QRIPs are presented in this work. From the obtained results we notice that the total dark current in the QRIPs can be significantly lower than that in the QWIPs. Moreover, main features of the QRIPs such as the large gap between the induced photocurrent and dark current open the way for overcoming the problems of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs).     

~(60)Co-γ射线辐照CMOS有源像素传感器诱发暗信号退化的机理研究

对某国产0.5μm CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor,互补金属氧化物半导体)N阱工艺CMOS有源像素传感器的电离总剂量效应进行了研究,通过60Co-γ射线辐照试验,着重分析了对辐射最敏感的暗信号和暗信号非均匀性随总剂量退化的物理机理.实验发现,随着辐照剂量的增加,暗信号和暗信号非均匀性显著退化,并且静态偏置条件下器件的辐射损伤最大.暗信号退化的主要原因是光电二极管pn结和复位晶体管源端N+/Psub结表面边界周围的SiO2产生了大量的界面态;暗信号非均匀性显著退化是由于光电二极管的暗信号增大引起.上述工作可为深入研究CMOS有源像素传感器的抗辐射加固及其辐射损伤评估提供参考.     

Low-frequency noise properties of p-type GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction detectors

We have measured and analyzed, at different temperatures and bias voltages, the dark noise spectra of GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction infrared photodetectors, where a highly doped GaAs emitter is sandwiched between two AlGaAs barriers. The noise and gain mechanisms associated with the carrier transport are investigated, and it is shown that a lower noise spectral density is observed for a device with a flat barrier, and thicker emitter. Despite the lower noise power spectral density of flat barrier device, comparison of the dark and photocurrent noise gain between flat and graded barrier samples confirmed that the escape probability of carriers (or detectivity) is enhanced by grading the barrier. The grading suppresses recombination owing to the higher momentum of carriers in the barrier. Optimizing the emitter thickness of the graded barrier to enhance the absorption efficiency, and increase the escape probability and lower the dark current, enhances the specific detectivity of devices.     

The role of sequential tunnelling in the dark current of quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs)

A quantum mechanical approach is taken to investigate the contribution of sequential tunnelling as a component of the dark current in quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs). Calculations are performed on three different experimentally reported QWIP devices made for different detection wavelengths. The results show that the sequential tunnelling component remains rather constant with different devices, however it is swamped by the thermionic emission components of the dark current at longer wavelengths. The lack of a local maximum in the dark current due to resonant LO phonon emission, which should be observed at short wavelengths, suggests that interface roughness and alloy disorder could be destroying the coherence of the electron wavefunctions between quantum wells.     

Analytical Simulation of an InAsSb Photovoltaic Detector for Mid-Infrared Applications

A generic model of a mid-infrared photodetector based on a narrow bandgap semiconductor has been developed. The model has been applied for analysis and simulation of an InAs_0.89Sb_0.11 photovoltaic detector for operation at room temperature in 2–5 μm wavelength region. The model takes into account the effect of tunneling and other components of dark current on the detectivity of the device by considering all the three dominant recombination mechanisms e.g., radiative, Shockley-Read-Hall and Auger recombination. The study revealed that the dark current of the photodetector under reverse bias is dominated by trap-assisted tunneling component of current and this causes the detectivity of the device to decrease at high reverse bias. It is further concluded that by operating the device at a suitable low reverse bias it is possible to improve the room-temperature detectivity significantly as compared to its value at zero bias.