Temperature dependent responsivity of quantum dot infrared photodetectors

Temperature dependent behavior of the responsivity of InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors was investigated with detailed measurement of the current gain. The current gain varied about two orders of magnitude with 100 K temperature change. Meanwhile, the change in quantum efficiency is within a factor of 10. The dramatic change of the current gain is explained by the repulsive coulomb potential of the extra carriers in the QDs. With the measured current gain, the extra carrier number in QDs was calculated. More than one electron per QD could be captured as the dark current increases at 150 K. The extra electrons in the QDs elevated the Fermi level and changed the quantum efficiency of the QDIPs. The temperature dependence of the responsivity was qualitatively explained with the extra electrons.     

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.     

Band structure and impurity effects on optical properties of quantum well and quantum dot infrared photodetectors

We examined theoretically band structure and discrete dopant effects in the quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) and the quantum dot infrared photodetector (QDIP). We find that in QWIPs discrete dopant effects can induce long wavelength infrared absorption through impurity assisted intra-subband optical transitions. In QDIPs, we find that a strategically placed dopant atom in a quantum dot can easily destroy the symmetry and modify the selection rule. This mechanism could be partially responsible for normal incidence absorption observed in low-aspect-ratio quantum dots.     

Emission and strain in InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells with InAs quantum dots obtained at different temperatures

The photoluminescence (PL), its temperature dependence and X ray diffraction (XRD) have been studied in the symmetric In_0.15Ga_0.85As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with embedded InAs quantum dots (QDs), obtained with the variation of QD growth temperatures (470–535 °C). The increase of QD growth temperatures is accompanied by the enlargement of QD lateral sizes (from 12 up to 28 nm) and by the shift non monotonously of PL peak positions. The fitting procedure has been applied for the analysis of the temperature dependence of PL peaks. The obtained fitting parameters testify that in studied QD structures the process of In/Ga interdiffusion between QDs and capping/buffer layers takes place partially. However this process cannot explain the difference in PL peak positions.     

Multi-color tunneling quantum dot infrared photodetectors operating at room temperature

Quantum dot structures designed for multi-color infrared detection and high temperature (or room temperature) operation are demonstrated. A novel approach, tunneling quantum dot (T-QD), was successfully demonstrated with a detector that can be operated at room temperature due to the reduction of the dark current by blocking barriers incorporated into the structure. Photoexcited carriers are selectively collected from InGaAs quantum dots by resonant tunneling, while the dark current is blocked by AlGaAs/InGaAs tunneling barriers placed in the structure. A two-color tunneling-quantum dot infrared photodetector (T-QDIP) with photoresponse peaks at 6 μm and 17 μm operating at room temperature will be discussed. Furthermore, the idea can be used to develop terahertz T-QD detectors operating at high temperatures. Successful results obtained for a T-QDIP designed for THz operations are presented. Another approach, bi-layer quantum dot, uses two layers of InAs quantum dots (QDs) with different sizes separated by a thin GaAs layer. The detector response was observed at three distinct wavelengths in short-, mid-, and far-infrared regions (5.6, 8.0, and 23.0 μm). Based on theoretical calculations, photoluminescence and infrared spectral measurements, the 5.6 and 23.0 μm peaks are connected to the states in smaller QDs in the structure. The narrow peaks emphasize the uniform size distribution of QDs grown by molecular beam epitaxy. These detectors can be employed in numerous applications such as environmental monitoring, spectroscopy, medical diagnosis, battlefield-imaging, space astronomy applications, mine detection, and remote-sensing.     

Detailed characterization of a systematic set of quantum dot infrared photodetectors

The results of a detailed characterization study on a systematic set of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot infrared photodetectors are presented. A simple physical picture is also discussed to account for the main observed features. Photoresponse characteristics in a wide spectral region from the mid- to far-infrared are reported. Clear polarization behaviors with a dominant P-polarized response in the mid-infrared and a strong S-response in the far-infrared regions are shown. These behaviors can be qualitatively understood in view of the quantum dot shape of a large in-plane diameter and a small height in the growth direction. With a set of three samples, effects of the number of electrons per quantum dot on the spectra are investigated.     

Enhanced infrared absorption of spatially ordered quantum dot arrays

We have investigated the intersubband absorption for spatially ordered and non-ordered quantum dots (QDs). It is found that the intersubband absorption of spatially ordered QDs is much stronger than that of non-ordered QDs. The enhanced absorption is attributed to the improved size uniformity concurrent with the spatial ordering for the growth condition employed. For the FTIR measurement under normal incidence geometry, using a undoped sample as reference can remove the interference effect due to multiple reflections.     

Overcoming absorption saturation with doping in p-type quantum well infrared photodetectors: modeling and experiment

Bound-to-continuum normal-incidence absorption in p-type GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) is strongest when the second light-hole (LH2) level is resonant with the top of the valence band QW. However, we found that such absorption saturates as a function of doping in the well. Using the envelope-function model (EFA), this paper shows that moving the LH2 resonance slightly deeper into the continuum avoids absorption saturation and produces optimal p-QWIP response. A suitable set of mid-IR samples was grown to test this conjecture and their photoresponse measured. The results indicate that absorption can be more than doubled through the use of the new p-QWIP designs. This result is explained by showing that the line of resonances in the continuum as a function of the in-plane wave vector eventually becomes a bound LH2 band in the well at some critical wave vector. Therefore, it is possible to avoid absorption saturation by matching this critical wave vector (i.e., well width and/or well depth) with the Fermi wave vector (i.e., doping in the well) for the desired QWIP (i.e., cutoff wavelength).     

The I-V characteristics of InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser

The I-V characteristics of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) laser diode have been investigated under both the high and low input current conditions. Under the low current condition, the I-V curve obeys the Shockley equation, from which the forbidden energy gap of the junction can be derived. On the other hand, in the high current range, the I-V characteristics violate the Shockley equation and the device tends to operate as a resistance. In addition, the I-V curve can be used to fit the temperature coefficient of the forward voltage, which is a critical parameter for determining the junction temperature of the laser diode.     

Wetting layers effect on InAs/GaAs quantum dots

FEM combining with the K·P theory is adopted to systematically investigate the effect of wetting layers on the strain-stress profiles and electronic structures of self-organized InAs quantum dot. Four different kinds of quantum dots are introduced at the same height and aspect ratio. We found that 0.5 nm wetting layer is an appropriate thickness for InAs/GaAs quantum dots. Strain shift down about 3%∼4.5% for the cases with WL (0.5 nm) and without WL in four shapes of quantum dots. For band edge energy, wetting layers expand the potential energy gap width. When WL thickness is more than 0.8 nm, the band edge energy profiles cannot vary regularly. The electron energy is affected while for heavy hole this impact on the energy is limited. Wetting layers for the influence of the electronic structure is obviously than the heavy hole. Consequently, the electron probability density function spread from buffer to wetting layer while the center of hole's function moves from QDs internal to wetting layer when introduce WLs. When WLs thickness is larger than 0.8 nm, the electronic structures of quantum dots have changed obviously. This will affect the instrument's performance which relies on the quantum dots' optical properties.     

Observation of monolayer-splitting for InAs/GaAs quantum dots

A pronounced modulation is observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs), recorded at low excitation densities. The clearly distinguishable peaks are identified as a multimodal distribution of the ground state transition energy, originating from a discrete, stepwise variation of the structural properties of the QDs, which is associated with an increase of the QD height in monolayer (ML) steps. The observation of a ML splitting implies a flat QD shape with well-defined upper and lower interfaces as well as negligible indium segregation. The electronic properties of the InAs/GaAs QDs were investigated by PL and PL-excitation spectroscopy and are discussed based on realistic calculations for flat InAs/GaAs QDs with a truncated pyramidal shape based on an extended 8-band k·p model. The calculations predict a red shift of the ground state transition with each additional ML, which saturates for heights above 9 ML, is in good agreement with experiment.     

Hydrostatic pressure effects on exciton states in InAs/GaAs quantum dots

Based on the effective-mass approximation, the hydrostatic pressure effects on exciton states in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) are studied by means of a variational method. Numerical results show that the exciton binding energy has a minimum with increasing dot height for any hydrostatic pressure. The interband emission energy increases when the hydrostatic pressure increases. In particular, we find that hydrostatic pressure has a remarkable effect on exciton states for small QD size. Our results are in agreement with experiment measurements.     

Reasons of emission inhomogeneity in InAs quantum dot structures

The photoluminescence (PL) inhomogeneity has been studied in InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in the symmetric In_0.15Ga_0.85As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with QDs grown at different temperatures. It was shown that three reasons are responsible for the emission inhomogeneity in studied QD structures: (i) the high concentration of nonradiative recombination centers in the capping In_0.15Ga_0.85As layer at low QD growth temperatures, (ii) the QD density and size distributions for the structure with QD grown at 510 ^°C, (iii) the high concentration of nonradiative recombination centers in the GaAs barrier at higher QD growth temperatures.     

Structure of InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown with Sb surfactant

InAs quantum dots in GaAs, grown under the presence of Sb by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, were studied with cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. Large flat quantum dots with a truncated pyramidal shape, base lengths between 15 and 30 nm, heights of 1–3 nm, and a rather pure InAs stoichiometry were found for the case of an Sb supply during the InAs deposition. If Sb is already supplied during GaAs stabilization prior to InAs deposition, the dots become even larger and tend to get intermixed with Ga, but remain coherently strained with a reversed cone-like In distribution. Regarding the quantum dot growth Sb acts as surfactant, whereas an incorporation of individual Sb atoms was observed in the wetting layer.     

Site control of InAs quantum dot nucleation by ex situ electron-beam lithographic patterning of GaAs substrates

Conventional electron-beam lithographic patterning of GaAs substrates followed by reactive-ion etching of small holes has been successfully used to control the nucleation of InAs dots. We have observed >50% single dot occupancy for holes wide and deep and show that the dot occupancy and dot size can be varied by changing the size of the holes. Luminescence from an array of these site-controlled dots has been demonstrated. Thus this use of substrate patterning is a viable technique to controllably place single dots at pre-determined positions in devices.     

Intraband photoresponse of SiGe quantum dot/quantum well multilayers

In this contribution we study the intravalence band photoexcitation of holes from self-assembled Ge quantum dots (QDs) in Si followed by spatial carrier transfer into SiGe quantum well (QW) channels located close to the Ge dot layers. The structures show maximum response in the important wavelength range 3–5 μm. The influence of the SiGe hole channel on photo- and dark current is studied depending on temperature and the spatial separation of QWs and dot layers. Introduction of the SiGe channel in the active region of the structure increases the photoresponsivity by up to about two orders of magnitude to values of 90 mA/W at T=20 K. The highest response values are obtained for structures with small layer separation (10 nm) that enable efficient transfer of photoexcited holes from QD to QW layers. The results indicate that Si/Ge QD structures with lateral photodetection promise very sensitive large area mid-infrared photodetectors with integrated readout microelectronics in Si technology.     

Current instabilities in GaAs/InAs self-aggregated quantum dot structures

Excess current was obtained in GaAs/InAs quantum dot structures at low temperatures and low current levels. This excess current exhibited instabilities with changing the bias, and over the time. It has been concluded that the excess current is a minority injection current connected with recombination through defects originated from the formation of QDs. The instabilities are connected with unstable occupation of energy levels induced by the above defects, which depend on temperature and on the current level.     

High responsivity, LWIR dots-in-a-well quantum dot infrared photodetectors

In this paper we report studies on normal incidence, InAs/In_0.15Ga_0.85As quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) in the dots-in-a-well (DWELL) configuration. Three QDIP structures with similar dot and well dimensions were grown and devices were fabricated from each wafer. Of the three devices studied, the first served as the control, the second was grown with an additional 400 Å AlGaAs blocking layer, and the third was grown on a GaAs n+ substrate with the intention of testing a single pass geometry. Spectral measurements on all three devices show one main peak in the long-wave IR (≈8 μm). The absorption was attributed to the bound-to-bound transition between the ground state of the InAs quantum dot and the ground state of the In_0.15Ga_0.85As well. Calibrated peak responsivity and peak detectivity measurements were performed on each device at 40, 60, and 80 K. For the same temperatures, frequency response measurements from 20 Hz to 4 kHz at a bias of V_b=−1 V were also performed. The addition of the blocking layer was shown to slightly enhance responsivity, which peaked at 2.4 A/W at 77 K, V_b=−1 V and responsivity was observed to be significantly reduced in the single pass (n+ substrate) sample. The rolloff of the frequency response was observed to be heavily dependent on temperature, bias, and irradiance. The results from the characterization of each sample are reported and discussed.     

Normal incidence silicon doped p-type GaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well infrared photodetector on (1 1 1)A substrate

p-type quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) demonstrate normal incidence response due to band mixing by utilizing valence band transitions that may break the selection rule limiting n-type QWIPs. Due to even more complicated valence band structure in (1 1 1) orientation, it is interesting to see that the p-type QWIP show both absorption and photocurrent response dominant in normal incidence. The p-type GaAs/AlGaAs QWIP was fabricated on GaAs(1 1 1)A substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using silicon as dopant with a measured carrier concentration of 1.4 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³. The photocurrent spectrum exhibits a peak at a wavelength of 7 μm with a relatively broad peak width (Δλ/λ_p  50%), indicating that the final state is far deep within the continuum of the valence band. The p-QWIP demonstrates a responsivity of about 1 mA/W, which is limited by the relatively low doping concentration.     

Single InAs/GaAs quantum dots: Photocurrent and cross-sectional AFM analysis

Photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy is employed to study the carrier escape from self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a Schottky photodiode structure. As a function of the applied field, we detect a shift of the exciton ground-state transition due to the quantum-confined Stark effect (). The tunneling time, which is directly related to the observed photocurrent linewidth due to τ/(2Γ), changes by a factor of five in the photocurrent regime. The measured linewidth dependency on the electric field is modeled by a simple 1D WKB approximation for the tunneling process, which shows that the energetic position of the wetting layer is important for the measured tunneling time out of the dot. In addition to that we present cross-sectional atomic force measurements (AFM) of the investigated photodiode structure. The method needs a minimum of time and sample preparation (cleaving and etching) to obtain the dot density, dot distribution, and give an estimate of the dot dimensions. Etching only the cleaved surface of the sample opens up the opportunity to determine the properties of a buried dot layer before or even after device fabrication.