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Passivation of InSb and HgCdTe Infrared Photodiodes by Polycrystalline CdTe

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Abstract

Mid-wavelength InSb and HgCdTe photodiodes (PDs) passivated with polycrystalline CdTe films have been studied. Passivating layers were deposited at low temperatures by the hot-wall epitaxy (HWE) technique. The PDs were characterized by measurements of the dark current and minority carrier lifetime. It is shown that heterovalent and isovalent (CdTe/InSb and CdTe/HgCdTe) interfaces have different effects on the PD characteristics. Passivation of HgCdTe does not affect the lifetime of the carriers, but the stability of the dark current in passivated PDs is insufficient for long-term operation. In the InSb PDs, the processing steps, including successive etching in CP4A and HCl etchants, sulfidization in an aqueous solution of Na2S, followed by the deposition of a protective CdTe layer, led to the best result. It has been established that the electrical properties of the passivating layers of polycrystalline CdTe are determined by the space charge-limited current. Conclusions are drawn about the applicability of the HWE technique for the passivation of infrared photodetectors.

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Funding

This work was partly funded by the NAS of Ukraine, project No. 0123U100458X.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS of Ukraine, 41 pr. Nauki, Kyiv, 03028, Ukraine

    V. Tetyorkin, Z. Tsybrii, M. Vuichyk, K. Svezhentsova, A. Yevmenova & N. Dmytruk

  2. V. Vynnychenko Central Ukrainian State University, Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine

    A. Tkachuk

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  1. V. Tetyorkin
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  2. Z. Tsybrii
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  3. A. Tkachuk
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Correspondence to K. Svezhentsova.

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Tetyorkin, V., Tsybrii, Z., Tkachuk, A. et al. Passivation of InSb and HgCdTe Infrared Photodiodes by Polycrystalline CdTe. J. Electron. Mater. 52, 7337–7345 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-023-10671-9

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