Fabrication of type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice long-wavelength infrared focal plane arrays

In this paper, we present an InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice (SL) with the M-structure for the fabrication of a long-wavelength (10 μm range) infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays (FPA), which are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The M-structure is named for the shape of the band alignment while the AlSb layer is inserted into the GaSb layer of InAs/GaSb SL. A 320 × 256 LWIR FPA has been fabricated with low surface leakage and high R₀A product of FPA pixels by using anodic sulfide and SiO₂ physical passivation. Experiment results show that the devices passivated with anodic sulfide obviously have higher R₀A than the un-sulphurized one. The 50% cutoff wavelength of the LWIR FPA is 9.1 μm, and the R₀A is 224 Ω cm² with the average detectivity of 2.3 × 10¹⁰ cm Hz^1/2 W⁻¹.     

InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays for high-resolution thermal imaging

The first fully operational mid-IR (3–5 μm) 256×256 IR-FPA camera system based on a type-II InAs/GaSb short-period superlattice showing an excellent noise equivalent temperature difference below 10 mK and a very uniform performance has been realized. We report on the development and fabrication of the detecor chip, i.e., epitaxy, processing technology and electro-optical characterization of fully integrated InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays. While the superlattice design employed for the first demonstrator camera yielded a quantum efficiency around 30%, a superlattice structure grown with a thicker active layer and an optimized V/III BEP ratio during growth of the InAs layers exhibits a significant increase in quantum efficiency. Quantitative responsivity measurements reveal a quantum efficiency of about 60% for InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays after implementing this design improvement. The paper presented there appears in Infrared Photoelectronics, edited by Antoni Rogalski, Eustace L. Dereniak, Fiodor F. Sizov, Proc. SPIE Vol. 5957, 595707 (2005).     

Bias-selectable mid-/long-wave dual band infrared focal plane array based on Type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice

In this paper, a mid-/long-wave dual-band detector which combined PπMN structure and unipolar barrier was developed based on type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice. A relevant 320 × 256 focal plane array (FPA) was fabricated. Unipolar barrier and PπMN structure in our dual band detector structure were used to suppress cross-talk and dark current, respectively. The two channels, with respective 50% cut-off wavelength at 4.5 μm and 10 μm were obtained. The peak quantum efficiency (QE) of mid wavelength infrared (MWIR) band and long wavelength infrared (LWIR) band are 53% at 3.2 μm under no bias voltage and 40% at 6.4 μm under bias voltage of −170 mV, respectively. And the dark current density under 0 and −170 mV of applied bias are 1.076 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm² and 2.16 × 10⁻⁴ A/cm². The specific detectivity of MWIR band and LWIR band are 2.15 × 10¹² cm·Hz^1/2/W at 3.2 μm and 2.31 × 10¹⁰ cm·Hz^1/2/W at 6.4 μm, respectively, at 77 K. The specific detectivity of LWIR band maintains above 10¹⁰ cm·Hz^1/2/W at the wavelength range from 4.3 μm to 10.2 μm under −170 mV. The cross-talk, selectivity parameter at 3.0 μm, about 0.14 was achieved under bias of −170 mV. Finally, the thermal images were taken by the fabricated FPA at 77 K.     

Very long wavelength infrared focal plane arrays with 50% cutoff wavelength based on type-Ⅱ In As/GaSb superlattice

A very long wavelength infrared(VLWIR) focal plane array based on In As/Ga Sb type-Ⅱ super-lattices is demonstrated on a Ga Sb substrate. A hetero-structure photodiode was grown with a 50% cut-off wavelength of 15.2 μm, at 77 K.A 320×256 VLWIR focal plane array with this design was fabricated and characterized. The peak quantum efficiency without an antireflective coating was 25.74% at the reverse bias voltage of-20 mV, yielding a peak specific detectivity of 5.89×1010cm·Hz~(1/2)·W~(-1). The operability and the uniformity of response were 89% and 83.17%. The noise-equivalent temperature difference at 65 K exhibited a minimum at 21.4 mK, corresponding to an average value of 56.3 mK.     

Etching mask optimization of InAs/GaSb superlattice mid-wavelength infared 640×512 focal plane array

In this paper we focused on the mask technology of inductively coupled plasma(ICP) etching for the mesa fabrication of infrared focal plane arrays(FPA).By using the SiO_2 mask,the mesa has higher graphics transfer accuracy and creates less micro-ripples in sidewalls.Comparing the IV characterization of detectors by using two different masks,the detector using the SiO_2 hard mask has the R_0A of 9.7×10~6 Ω·cm~2,while the detector using the photoresist mask has the R_0A of3.2 × 10~2 Ω·cm~2 in 77 K.After that we focused on the method of removing the remaining SiO_2 after mesa etching.The dry ICP etching and chemical buffer oxide etcher(BOE) based on HF and NH4 F are used in this part.Detectors using BOE only have closer R_0A to that using the combining method,but it leads to gaps on mesas because of the corrosion on AlSb layer by BOE.We finally choose the combining method and fabricated the 640×512 FPA.The FPA with cutoff wavelength of 4.8 μm has the average R_0A of 6.13 × 10~9 Ω·cm~2 and the average detectivity of 4.51 × 10~9 cm·Hz~(1/2).W~(-1)at 77 K.The FPA has good uniformity with the bad dots rate of 1.21%and the noise equivalent temperature difference(NEDT) of 22.9 mK operating at 77 K.     

Passivation techniques for InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice detectors

InAs/(In,Ga)Sb Strained Layer Superlattices (SLSs) have made significant progress since they were first proposed as an infrared (IR) sensing material more than three decades ago. The basic material properties of SLS provide a prospective benefit in the realization of IR imagers with suppressed interband tunneling and Auger recombination processes, as well as high quantum efficiency and responsivity. With scaling of single pixel dimensions, the performance of focal plane arrays is strongly dependent on surface effects due to the large pixels’ surface/volume ratio. This article discusses the cause of surface leakage currents and various approaches of their reduction including dielectric passivation, passivation with organic materials (polyimide or various photoresists), passivation by overgrowth of wider bandgap material, and chalcogenide passivation. Performance of SLS detectors passivated by different techniques and operating in various regions of infrared spectrum has been compared.     

Growth and electrical characterization of type II InAs/GaSb superlattices for midwave infrared detection

Herein, we report a type II InAs/GaSb superlattice structure (SLS) grown on GaSb(1 0 0) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and its electrical characterization for mid-wavelength infrared detection. A GaSb buffer layer was grown under optimized SLS growth conditions, which can decrease the occurrence of defects for similar pyramidal structures. The complications associated with these conditions include oxide desorption of the substrate, growth temperature of the SLS, the V/III ratio during superlattice growth and the shutter sequence. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) shows the sixth satellite peak, and the period of the SLS was 52.9 Å. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) images indicated that the roughness was less than 2.8 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images indicated that the SLS contains few structural defects related to interface dislocations or strain relaxation during the growth of the superlattice layer. The photoresponse spectra indicated that the cutoff wavelength was 4.8 μm at 300 K. The SLS photodiode surface was passivated by a zinc sulfide (ZnS) coating after anodic sulfide.     

Modeling and simulation of long-wave infrared InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice photodiodes with different passivants

Current–voltage characteristics of long-wave infrared (LWIR) InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice photodiodes (cut-off wavelength ∼10 μm), passivated with different surface passivants, have been modeled and simulated using ATLAS software from SILVACO. The simulated results are fitted to previous experimental results obtained on unpassivated devices and those passivated by silicon-dioxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si_xN_y) and zinc sulfide (ZnS). Surface parameters in terms of surface recombination velocity, shunt resistance and interface trap density are extracted for different passivants. The performance of silicon-dioxide passivated diode is solely dominated by a shunt leakage path with a shunt resistance value of 0.56 Ω-cm². Extracted electron and hole surface recombination velocities have values of 10⁵ cm/s and 10⁷ cm/s for unpassivated, 10³ cm/s and 10⁵ cm/s for Si_xN_y passivated and 10² cm/s and 10³ cm/s for ZnS passivated devices. Interface trap density follows a similar trend with values of 10¹⁵ cm⁻², 8.5 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻² and 10¹⁰ cm⁻² for unpassivated, Si_xN_y passivated and ZnS passivated devices respectively. The suitability and limitations of the simulation tool are discussed.     

Excess noise in InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice pin-photodiodes

We characterize the low-frequency white noise behavior of a large set of InAs/GaSb superlattice infrared pin-photodiodes for the mid-wavelength infrared regime at 3–5 μm. For diodes with an increased dark current in comparison to the dark current of generation–recombination limited bulk material, the standard shot-noise model fails to describe the noise experimentally observed in the white part of the spectrum. Instead, we find that McIntyre’s noise model for avalanche multiplication processes is compliant with our data. We suggest that within high electric field domains localized around macroscopic defects, avalanche multiplication processes leading to increased dark current and excess noise.     

Growth of high material quality InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice for long-wavelength infrared range by molecular beam epitaxy

By optimizing the V/III beam-equivalent pressure ratio, a high-quality InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice material for the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) range is achieved by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). High-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer are used to characterize the material growth quality. The results show that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the superlattice zero-order diffraction peak, the mismatching of the superlattice zero-order diffraction peak between the substrate diffraction peaks, and the surface roughness get the best results when the beam-equivalent pressure (BEP) ratio reaches the optimal value, which are 28 arcsec, 13 arcsec, and 1.63 Å, respectively. The intensity of the zero-order diffraction peak is strongest at the optimal value. The relative spectral response of the LWIR detector shows that it exhibits a 100% cut-off wavelength of 12.6 μm at 77 K. High-quality epitaxial materials have laid a good foundation for preparing high-performance LWIR detector.     

Influence of the p-type doping on the radiometric performances of MWIR InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes

In this paper, quantum efficiency (QE) measurements performed on type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice (T2SL) photodiodes operating in the mid-wavelength infrared domain, are reported. Several comparisons were made in order to determine the SL structure showing optimum radiometric performances: same InAs-rich SL structure with different active zone thicknesses (from 0.5 μm to 4 μm) and different active zone doping (n-type versus p-type), same 1 μm thick p-type active zone doping with different SL designs (InAs-rich versus GaSb-rich and symmetric SL structures). Best result was obtained for the p-type doped InAs-rich SL photodiode, with a 4 μm active zone thickness, showing a QE that reaches 61% at λ = 2 μm and 0 V bias voltage.     

Interface effect on superlattice quality and optical properties of InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We systematically investigate the influence of InSb interface (IF) engineering on the crystal quality and optical properties of strain-balanced InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices (T2SLs). The type-II superlattice structure is 120 periods InAs (8 ML)/GaSb (6 ML) with different thicknesses of InSb interface grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) curves display sharp satellite peaks, and the narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 0th is only 30-39 arcsec. From high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization, the InSb heterointerfaces and the clear spatial separation between the InAs and GaSb layers can be more intuitively distinguished. As the InSb interface thickness increases, the compressive strain increases, and the surface "bright spots" appear to be more apparent from the atomic force microscopy (AFM) results. Also, photoluminescence (PL) measurements verify that, with the increase in the strain, the bandgap of the superlattice narrows. By optimizing the InSb interface, a high-quality crystal with a well-defined surface and interface is obtained with a PL wavelength of 4.78 μ, which can be used for mid-wave infrared (MWIR) detection.     

Interfaces as design tools for short-period InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices for mid-infrared detectors

The effect of interface anisotropy on the electronic structure of InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices is exploited in the design of thin-layer superlattices for mid-IR detection threshold. The design is based on a theoretical envelope function model that incorporates the change of anion and cation species across InAs/GaSb interfaces, in particular, across the preferred InSb interface. The model predicts that a given threshold can be reached for a range of superlattice periods with InAs and GaSb layers as thin as a few monolayers. Although the oscillator strengths are predicted to be larger for thinner period superlattices, the absorption coefficients are comparable because of the compensating effect of larger band widths. However, larger intervalence band separations for thinner-period samples should lead to longer minority electron Auger lifetimes and higher operating temperatures in p-type SLs. In addition, the hole masses for thinner-period samples are on the order the free-electron mass rather than being effectively infinite for the wider period samples. Therefore, holes should also contribute to photoresponse. A number of superlattices with periods ranging from 50.6 to 21.2 Å for the 4 μm detection threshold were grown by molecular beam epitaxy based on the model design. Low temperature photoluminescence and photoresponse spectra confirmed that the superlattice band gaps remained constant at 330 meV although the period changed by the factor of 2.5. Overall, the present study points to the importance of interfaces as a tool in the design and growth of thin superlattices for mid-IR detectors for room temperature operation.     

(InAs)1/(GaSb)1超晶格原子链的第一原理研究

利用第一原理平面波赝势法, 对(InAs)₁/(GaSb)₁超晶格原子链的原子结构、力学特性、电子能带结构、 声子结构和光学特性进行研究, 并结合密度泛函理论数值原子轨道赝势法和非平衡格林函数法计算量子输运特性. 与二维层结构的(InAs)₁/(GaSb)₁超晶格相比, (InAs)₁/(GaSb)₁超晶格原子链的能带结构有明显不同, 在某些情况下表现为金属能带特性. 对理想条件下(InAs)₁/(GaSb)₁ 超晶格原子链的力学强度计算表明, 该结构可承受的应变高达 ε=0.19. 通过对声子结构的完整布里渊区分析, 研究了(InAs)₁/(GaSb)₁超晶格原子链的结构稳定性. 对两端接触电极为Al纳米线的InAs/GaSb超晶格原子链的电子输运特性计算表明, 电导随链长和应变的改变而发生非单调变化.光吸收谱的计算结果表现出在红外波段具有陡峭吸收边, 截止波长随超晶格原子链的结构而变化.预计InAs/GaSb超晶格原子链可应用于红外光电子纳米器件, 通过改变超晶格原子链的结构来调节光电响应波段.     

Four-component superlattice empirical pseudopotential method for InAs/GaSb superlattices

For the design of InAs/GaSb superlattice (SL) heterojunction infrared photodetectors with very low dark current we have extended the standard two-component superlattice empirical pseudopotential method (SEPM) and implemented a four-component model including interface layers. For both models, the calculated bandgap values for a set of SL samples are compared to bandgaps determined by photoluminescence measurements. While the bandgap resulting from the two-component model agrees well with experimental data for SL structures with individual layer thicknesses of 7 monolayers and more, we show that for SLs with thinner GaSb layers the four-component SEPM model is accurate, when the As-content in the interface and barrier layers is included in the model.     

InAs/GaSb superlattices for advanced infrared focal plane arrays

We report on the development of high performance focal plane arrays for the mid-wavelength infrared spectral range from 3–5 μm (MWIR) on the basis of InAs/GaSb superlattice photodiodes. An investigation on the minority electron diffusion length with a set of six sample ranging from 190 to 1000 superlattice periods confirms that InAs/GaSb superlattice focal plane arrays achieve very high external quantum efficiency. This enabled the fabrication of a range of monospectral MWIR imagers with high spatial and excellent thermal resolution at short integration times. Furthermore, novel dual-color imagers have been developed, which offer advanced functionality due to a simultaneous, pixel-registered detection of two separate spectral channels in the MWIR.     

Type-II InAs/GaSb superlattices for very long wavelength infrared detectors

Type-II superlattices (SLs) can be designed for semiconductor band gaps as large as 400 meV down to semimetallic. This flexibility in design makes them an excellent candidate for infrared photodiodes with cut-off wavelengths beyond 15 μm. There are relatively few options for high-performance infrared detectors to cover wavelengths longer than 15 μm, especially for operating temperatures above 15 K. In the past few years, excellent results have been obtained on photoconductive and photodiode samples designed for infrared detection in the very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) range (λ>15 μm). There is a variety of possible designs for these SLs which will produce the same narrow band gap by adjusting individual layer thicknesses, or indium content, in the InGaSb layer. Several of these different design options have been grown and characterized. These designs often require monolayer control per layer over hundreds of repeats in the SL. Photoresponse spectra for type-II SLs are compared to show how the design choices not only change the band gap but also the band structure, as reflected in features observed in the spectra. Theoretical modeling results are used to interpret the photoresponse spectra. SLs with cut-off wavelengths ranging from 15 to 25 μm are covered.     

红外焦平面阵列非线性校正曲线测量方法

针对红外焦平面阵列强度响应的非线性失真现象,本文提出了一种基于单波长激光器测定红外焦平面阵列非线性校正曲线的方法,设计出用于测量的实验装置,并通过实验研究获得了实测的非线性校正曲线。结果表明,该方法规避了红外焦平面阵列光谱响应不均匀性的影响,满足了装置器件在工程技术中通用性和实用性的需要,在简单易行的同时保证了较高的测量精度。