A New nBn IR Detection Concept Using HgCdTe Material

Abstract

This paper presents a new HgCdTe-based heterostructure to perform quantum infrared detection. The structure is based on the unipolar barrier concept, introduced by White in the 1980s for HgCdTe. The driving concept is the use of a large gap barrier layer to impede the flow of majority carriers (electrons on the conduction band in the case of n-type material) while facilitating the transport of minority (photo) carriers (holes on the valence band). The issue encountered here is the formation of a small potential barrier on the valence band, blocking photocarriers and therefore killing the quantum efficiency. The idea is to optimize the structure with an asymmetric barrier: abrupt on the contact side to efficiently block the majority carriers, and gradual on the absorption layer side to plane down the remaining potential barrier for the collected photocarriers. The concept has been studied by finite element modeling simulation and showed promising results. An optimal design has been identified in the middle wave band and molecular beam epitaxy layers have been grown then processed. First experimental characterization of the electro-optical properties of such structures showed promising features: 60% quantum efficiency and low turn-on voltage have been measured on single pixels.