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Numerical Modeling of SRH and Tunneling Mechanisms in High-Operating-Temperature MWIR HgCdTe Photodetectors

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Abstract

A combined experimental and numerical simulation study is presented on two sets of nominally identical \(\hbox {Hg}_{1-x}\hbox {Cd}_{x}\hbox {Te}\) single-color back-illuminated midwave-infrared n-on-p photodetectors grown by liquid-phase epitaxy, p-doped with Hg vacancies and with Au, respectively. The present numerical model includes a novel formulation for band-to-band tunneling, which overcomes the intrinsic limitations of the classical Kane description without introducing numerical issues typical of other approaches. Our study confirms that adopting n-on-p architectures, avoiding metal vacancy doping, and reducing the acceptor density in the absorber region are prerequisites for obtaining high-operating-temperature photodetectors. A significant contribution to the dark current in both sets of devices is attributed to impact ionization, crucial to obtain a satisfactory explanation for the measured characteristics also at low to intermediate bias.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    Marco Vallone, Marco Mandurrino, Michele Goano, Francesco Bertazzi & Giovanni Ghione

  2. IEIIT-CNR, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    Michele Goano & Francesco Bertazzi

  3. AIM Infrarot-Module GmbH, Theresienstraße 2, 74072, Heilbronn, Germany

    Wilhelm Schirmacher, Stefan Hanna & Heinrich Figgemeier

Authors
  1. Marco Vallone
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  2. Marco Mandurrino
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  3. Michele Goano
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  4. Francesco Bertazzi
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  5. Giovanni Ghione
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  6. Wilhelm Schirmacher
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  7. Stefan Hanna
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  8. Heinrich Figgemeier
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Correspondence to Michele Goano.

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Vallone, M., Mandurrino, M., Goano, M. et al. Numerical Modeling of SRH and Tunneling Mechanisms in High-Operating-Temperature MWIR HgCdTe Photodetectors. J. Electron. Mater. 44, 3056–3063 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3767-8

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