Photodiodes based on p-on-n junctions formed in MBE-grown n-type MCT absorber layers for the spectral region 8 to 11 μm

Abstract

Results of measurement of the dark currents and photocurrents of p-on-n photodiodes (PD) formed in In-doped MBE-grown n-type mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) films are reported. We used 3 in. in diameter (0 1 3) GaAs and (0 1 3) Si substrates. The p-on-n junctions were fabricated using the implantation of As+ ions followed by the thermal annealing activation. It was shown that the regime of background-limited performance (BLIP) of the p-on-n PD with experimentally measured long-wave cutoff wavelength (LW) cutoff (λc) of 11.1 and 10.3 μm at 77 K is observed up to elevated temperatures of 105 K and 117 K, respectively. The temperature dependence of the noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) for p-on-n PD sized 30 × 30 μm was calculated taking into account only PD shot noise. It was shown that such LW p-on-n photodiodes allows to increase the operating temperature of IR FPA detectors up to 100–105 K with the NETD less than 30 mK.