Study on the Theoretical Limitation of the Mid-Infrared PbSe N+-P Junction Detectors at High Operating Temperature

Xinghua  Shi; Quang  Phan; Binbin  Weng; Lance L.  McDowell; Zhisheng  Shi; Jijun  Qiu; Zhihua  Cai

doi:10.4236/detection.2018.61001

Xinghua Shi¹^*, Quang Phan¹, Binbin Weng¹, Lance L. McDowell¹, Jijun Qiu^1,2, Zhihua Cai^1,2, Zhisheng Shi¹^*

Abstract: This paper provides a theoretical study and calculation of the specific detectivity-D* limit of photovoltaic (PV) mid-wave infrared (MWIR) PbSe n⁺-p junction detectors operating at both room temperature and TE-cooled temperature. For a typical PbSe p-type doping concentration of 2 × 10¹⁷ cm^-3 and with high quantum efficiency, the D* limits of a photovoltaic PbSe n⁺-p junction detector are shown to be 2.8 × 10¹⁰ HZ^1/2/W and 3.7 × 1010 HZ1/2/W at 300 K and 240 K, with cut-off wavelength of 4.5 μm and 5.0 μm, respectively. It is almost one magnitude higher than the current practical MWIR PV detector. Above 244 K, the detector is Johnson noise limited, and below 191 K the detector reaches background limited infrared photodetector (BLIP) D*. With optimization of carrier concentration, D* and BLIP temperature could be further increased.

Keywords: PbSe, Lifetime, R₀A, Detectivity

Cite this paper: Shi, X. , Phan, Q. , Weng, B. , McDowell, L. , Qiu, J. , Cai, Z. and Shi, Z. (2018) Study on the Theoretical Limitation of the Mid-Infrared PbSe N⁺-P Junction Detectors at High Operating Temperature. Detection, 6, 1-16. doi: 10.4236/detection.2018.61001.

References

[1] Norton, P.R. (1991) Infrared Image Sensors. Optical Engineering, 30, 1649-1663.
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.56001

[2] Rogalski, A. (2001) Infrared Detectors. 2 Edition, Taylor and Francis Group, LLC and. CRC Press, New York.

[3] Tennant, W.E. (2011) Limits of Infrared Imaging. International Journal of High Speed Electronics and Systems, 20, 529-539.
https://doi.org/10.1142/S0129156411006829

[4] De Wames, R.E. and Pellegrino, J.G. (2012) Electrical Characteristics of MOVPE grown MWIR N+p(As)HgCdTe Heterostructure Photodiodes Build on GaAs Substrates. In: Andresen, B.F., Fulop, G.F. and Norton, P.R., Eds., Infrared Technology and Applications XXXVIII, Proceeding of SPIE Vol. 8353 83532K-1, Baltimore.

[5] Klann, R., Hofer, T., Buhleier, R., Elsaesser, T. and Tomm, J.W. (1995) Fast Recombination Processes in Lead Chalcogenide Semiconductors Studied via Transient Optical Nonlinearities. Journal of Applied Physics, 77, 277.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.359388

[6] Findlay, P.C., Pidgeon, C.R., Murdin, B.N., van der Meer, A.F.G., Langerak, A.F.G., Ciesla, C.M., Oswald, J., Springholz, G. and Bauer, G. (1998) Auger Recombination Dynamics of Lead Salts under Picosecond Free-Electron-Laser Excitation. Physical Review B, 58, 12908.
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.58.12908

[7] Ziep, O., Mocker, O., Genzow, D. and Hermann, K.H. (1978) Auger Recombination in PbSnTe-Like Semiconductors. Physica Status Solidi B, 90, 197.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.2220900121

[8] Yongdale, E.R., Meyer, J.R., Hoffman, C.A., Bartoli, F.J., Grein, C.H., Young, P.M., Ehrenreich, H., Miles, R.H. and Chow, D.H. (1994) Auger Lifetime Enhancement in InAs-Ga_1-xIn_xSb Superlattices. Applied Physics Letters, 64, 3160.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.111325

[9] Meyer, J.R., Felix, C.L., Bewley, W.W., Vurgaftman, I., Aifer, E.H., Olafsen, L.J., Lindle, J.R., Hoffman, C.A., Yang, M.-J., Bennett, B.R., Shanabrook, B.V., Lee, H., Lin, C.-H., Pei, S.S. and Miles, R.H. (1998) Auger Coefficients in Type-II InAs/Ga_1-xIn_xSb Quantum Wells. Applied Physics Letters, 73, 2857.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.122609

[10] Young, P.M., Grein, C.H., Ehrenreich, H. and Miles, R.H. (1993) Temperature Limits on Infrared Detectivities of InAs/In_xGa_1-xSb Superlattices and Bulk Hg_xCd_1-xTe. Journal of Applied Physics, 74, 4774.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.354348

[11] Ciesla, C.M., Murdin, B.N., Phillips, T.J., White, A.M., Beattie, A.R., Langerak, G.M., Elliott, C.T., Pidgeon, C.R. and Sivananthan, S. (1997) Auger Recombinatin Dynamics of Hg_0.795Cd_0.205Te in the High Excitation Regime. Applied Physics Letters, 71, 3160.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.119588

[12] Beattie, A.R. and White, A.M. (1996) An Analytic Approximation with a Wide Range of Applicabilty for Electron Initiated Auger Transitions in Narrow-Gap Semiconductors. Journal of Applied Physics, 79, 802.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.360828

[13] Qiu, J., Weng, B., Yuan, Z. and Shi, Z. (2013) Study of Sensitization Process on Mid-Infrared Uncooled PbSe Photoconductive Detectors Leads to High Detectivity. Journal of Applied Physics, 113, 103102.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4794492

[14] Weng, B., Qiu, J., Yuan, Z., Larson, P., Strout, G. and Shi, Z. (2014) CdS/PbSe Heterojunction for High Temperature Mid-Infrared Photovoltaic Detector Applications. Applied Physics Letters, 104, 121111.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4869752

[15] Zhao, L., Qiu, J., Weng, B., Chang, C., Yuan, Z. and Shi, Z. (2014) Understanding Sensitization Behavior of Lead Selenide Photoconductive Detectors by Charge Separation Model. Journal of Applied Physics, 115, Article ID: 084502.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867038

[16] Green, K., Yoo, S.-S. and Kauffman, C. (2014) Lead Salt TE-Cooled Imaging Sensor Development. Proceedings of the SPIE, 9070, 90701G.

[17] Driggers, R. (2014) What’s New in Infrared Systems?
http://spie.org/x106781.xml
https://doi.org/10.1117/2.4201404.12

[18] Clark Jones, R. (1953) Performance of Detectors for Visible and Infrared Radiation. Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics, 5, 1-96.

[19] Rogalski, A. (2011) Infrared Detectors. 2nd Edition, Taylor and Francis Group and CRC Press, Boca Raton, 34-35.

[20] Buckingham, M.J. and Faulkner, E.A. (1974) The Theory of Inherent Noise in p-n Junction Diodes and Bipolar Transistors. Radio and Electronic Engineer, 44, 125-140.
https://doi.org/10.1049/ree.1974.0036

[21] Johnson, M.R., Chapman, R.A. and Wrobel, J.S. (1975) Detectivity Limits for Diffused Junction PbSnTe Detectors. Infrared Physics, 15, 317-329.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-0891(75)90050-0

[22] Rogalski, A., Adamiec, K. and Rutkowski, J. (2000) Narrow Gap Semiconductor Photodiodes.

[23] Preier, H. (1979) Recent Advances in Lead-Chalcogenide Diode Lasers. Applied Physics, 20, 189-206.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00886018

[24] Rogalski, A. (2011) Infrared Detectors. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

[25] Schlichting, U. and Gobrecht, K.H. (1973) The Mobility of Free Carriers in PbSe Crystals. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 34, 753-758.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3697(73)80183-0

[26] Lu, X. and Shi, Z. (2005) Theoretical Investigations of [110] IV-VI Lead Salt Edge-Emitting Lasers. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 41, 308-315.
https://doi.org/10.1109/JQE.2004.841607

[27] Rogalski, A., Ciupa, R. and Zogg, H. (1995) Solid State Crystals: Materials Science and Applications. International Society for Optics and Photonics, Bellingham.

[28] Parrot, J.E. (1993) Radiative Recombination and Photon Recycling in Photovoltaic Solar Cells. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 30, 221-231.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0927-0248(93)90142-P

[29] Weiser, K., Ribak, E., Klein, A. and Ainhorn, M. (1981) Recombination of Photocarriers in Lead-Tin Telluride. Infrared Physics, 21, 149-154.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-0891(81)90022-1