Semiconductor thermal detector with constant bias current and self-cooling

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Behaviour of a single crystal semiconductor detector of thermal type, when the bias current is constant and large enough to make self-cooling a dominant heat losing channel, has been analysed taking end cooling into account. Universal curves for computation of responsivity are given. The maximum value of responsivity realizable from an ideal detector of the type is shown to be 1/ i, i being the bias current. Tentative estimate of NEP is made and the speed of response inferred from the expression for high frequency responsivity. Relevant physical data for Ge and Si are collected together and it is shown that under careful design and with a sufficiently low operating temperature the detector is potentially capable of having a speed and responsivity of some types of optical detectors.