MBE HgCdTe heterostructure p-on-n planar infrared photodiodes

Abstract

We recently succeeded in fabricating planar Hg_1−yCd_yTe/Hg_1−xCd_xTe (x<y) heterostructure photodiodes with the p-on-n configuration. Here we discuss early results in detail and present new results on an expanded range of infrared operation. The material used for this demonstration was grown by molecular beam epitaxy on lattice-matched CdZnTe substrates. The p-on-n planar devices consist of an arsenic-doped p-type epilayer (y∼0.28) atop a long wavelength infrared n-type epilayer (x=0.22–0.23). The planar junctions were formed by selective pocket diffusion of arsenic deposited on the surface by ion implantation. Detailed analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of these diodes as a function of temperature shows that they have high performance and that their dark currents are diffusion-limited down to 52K. Low frequency noise measurements at a reverse bias voltage of 50 mV resulted in noise current values (at 1 Hz) as low as 1×10⁻¹⁴ amps/Hz^0.5 at 77K. Average R_oA values greater than 10⁶ Ω-cm² at 40K were obtained for these devices with cut-off wavelength values in the 10.6 to 12 μm range. Seventy percent of these devices have R_oA values greater than 10⁵ Ω-cm² at 40K; further studies are needed to improve device uniformity. These results represent the first demonstration that high performance long wavelength infrared devices operating at 40K can be made using HgCdTe material grown by a vapor phase epitaxy growth technique.