Minority carrier diffusion lengths and mobilities in low-doped n-InGaAs for focal plane array applications

Abstract

The hole diffusion length in n-InGaAs is extracted for two samples of different doping concentrations using a set of long and thin diffused junction diodes separated by various distances on the order of the diffusion length. The methodology is described, including the ensuing analysis which yields diffusion lengths between 70 - 85 μm at room temperature for doping concentrations in the range of 5 − 9 × 1015 cm−3 . The analysis also provides insight into the minority carrier mobility which is a parameter not commonly reported in the literature. Hole mobilities on the order of 500 − 750 cm2/V·s are reported for the aforementioned doping range, which are comparable albeit longer than the majority hole mobility for the same doping magnitude in p-InGaAs. A radiative recombination coefficient of (0.5±0.2)×10−10 cm−3 s −1 is also extracted from the ensuing analysis for an InGaAs thickness of 2.7 μm. Preliminary evidence is also given for both heavy and light hole diffusion. The dark current of InP/InGaAs p-i-n photodetectors with 25 and 15 μm pitches are then calibrated to device simulations and correlated to the extracted diffusion lengths and doping concentrations. An effective Shockley-Read-Hall lifetime of between 90-200 μs provides the best fit to the dark current of these structures.