A performance assessment of type-II interband In0.5Ga0.5Sb QD photodetectors

Self-assembled quantum-dot (QD) structures with type-II band alignment to the surrounding matrix material have been proposed as a III/V material approach to realize small-bandgap device structures suitable for photon detection and imaging in the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) band. Here, we analyze the photoresponse of In0.5Ga0.5Sb/InAs QD photodiodes and estimate the system performance of type-II QD –based photodetectors. A review of alternative design approaches is presented and the choice of matrix material is discussed in terms of band alignment and its effect on the photoresponse. iodes were fabricated consisting of 10 layers of In0.5Ga0.5Sb QDs grown on InAs (0 0 1) substrates with metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The photoresponse and dark current were measured in single pixel devices as a function of temperature in the range 20–230 K. The quantum efficiency shows an Arrhenius type behavior, which is attributed to hole trapping. This severely limits the detector performance at typical LWIR sensor operating temperatures (60–120 K). A device design with the matrix material InAs0.6Sb0.4 is proposed as a mean to improve the performance by reducing the barrier for hole transport. This can potentially allow type-II InGaSb QDs to be a competitive sensor material for LWIR detection.