Numerical simulation of HgCdTe detector characteristics

Abstract

We discuss analytic and numerical models for HgCdTe photodiodes and present examples of their application. Analytic models can account for the performance obtained by many device architectures. Numerical and analytic models agree in predicting several aspects of device performance, such as diffusion limited dark current, confirming the approximations used in deriving the analytic models. Areas are noted where improvement in the numerical models would allow application to a wider range of device simulations. Useful results are obtained from the numerical simulators that cannot be obtained from our analytic model. Flux dependent R0A products are shown to be a direct result of bias dependent quantum efficiency, a mechanism that is much more evident in heterojunction device architectures. Material compositional grading is demonstrated to lead to lower signal to noise ratio in devices designed to detect a particular infrared wavelength. We also show, particularly for high temperature operation, that heterojunction detectors can at best equal the performance of well-designed homojunction detectors; so, for photodetector design, heterojunctions do not offer any inherent performance advantages over homojunctions. Nevertheless, heterostructures, though ideally not required, may be helpful in achieving high performance in practice.