Topographic Evaluation of the Effect of Passivation in Improving the Performance of CdZnTe Detectors

Abstract

Surface passivation reportedly is an effective technique for controlling surface leakage current and its related electronic noise. Several chemical agents have been effectively used for passivating cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) surfaces; however, the long-term stability and the adverse effect on the metal contacts remain questionable. In this study, we reviewed two popular passivating agents, viz. hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and a mixture of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen peroxide (NH₄F + H₂O₂). Our aim was to identify an ideal one that can effectively and permanently lower surface leakage currents without adversely affecting the metal contacts. We characterized their topographic features and their long-term effectiveness in terms of detector performance, and compared the results to understand their nature. We determined which chemical species were formed, and recorded the peaks of elemental Cd and Te via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micron-scale spatial resolution x-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF). We describe in detail the formation of new chemical species and the material nonuniformity of differently treated surfaces. Their effectiveness was assessed from experimental findings of their electrical properties and the spectral response. Our results imply that both passivating agents lowered the surface leakage current, and improved the detection efficiency of the CZT detectors, but their effectiveness was unstable over time.