Abstract
CdZnTe-based heterojunction p–i–n or M–π–n detectors using HgTe/HgCdTe superlattice contacts are modeled and designed to reduce leakage currents under high electric fields and thereby improve x-ray and γ-ray detector performance. The employment of an n-type HgTe/HgCdTe superlattice as a contact layer can theoretically result in significantly less leakage current compared with a contact layer using either bulk semiconductor or metal contacts. The benefits arise from the ability to design HgTe/HgCdTe superlattices to have large carrier effective masses in the electric field direction, which results in low carrier velocities. Nevertheless the density of states is lower than that of a comparable bulk semiconductor, which results in low carrier concentrations.
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Chang, Y., Grein, C.H., Becker, C.R. et al. CdZnTe Radiation Detectors with HgTe/HgCdTe Superlattice Contacts for Leakage Current Reduction. J. Electron. Mater. 40, 1854–1859 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-011-1680-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-011-1680-3