Title :
Long-wavelength Ge/sub x/Si/sub 1-x//Si heterojunction infrared detectors and 400*400-element imager arrays
Author :
Tsaur, Bor-Yeu ; Chen, C.K. ; Marino, S.A.
Author_Institution :
MIT Lincoln Lab., Lexington, MA, USA
fDate :
6/1/1991 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Heterojunction Ge/sub x/Si/sub 1-x//Si internal photoemission infrared detectors exhibiting nearly ideal thermionic-emission dark-current characteristics have been fabricated with cutoff wavelengths out to 16 mu m. High-quality imaging without uniformity correction has been demonstrated in the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) spectral band for 400*400-element focal plane arrays consisting of Ge/sub 0.44/Si/sub 0.56/ detectors with a cutoff wavelength of 9.3 mu m and monolithic charged-coupled-device readout circuitry. The Ge/sub 0.44/Si/sub 0.56/ composition was chosen in order to obtain a barrier height low enough to yield a cutoff length within the LWIR band, but high enough to permit low dark-current operation at about 50 K.<>
Keywords :
Ge-Si alloys; elemental semiconductors; infrared detectors; infrared imaging; semiconductor junctions; semiconductor materials; silicon; 16 micron; 160000 pixel; 400 pixel; 50 K; 9.3 micron; Ge/sub 0.44/Si/sub 0.56/; Ge/sub x/Si/sub 1-x/-Si; LWIR; cutoff wavelengths; focal plane arrays; heterojunction infrared detectors; imager arrays; internal photoemission infrared detectors; long-wavelength infrared; low dark-current operation; monolithic charged-coupled-device readout circuitry; semiconductors; thermionic-emission dark-current characteristics; Charge coupled devices; Circuits; Germanium silicon alloys; Heterojunctions; Infrared detectors; Optical imaging; Sensor arrays; Silicides; Silicon germanium; Substrates;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
