Extensive material and device statistics of performance and reproducibility are presented to show the maturity of this technology. The demonstration vehicles to monitor yields during this demonstration were long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe multilayer wafers with 128 X 128 detector arrays. The heterostructure photodetectors were of the p-on-n planar configuration. Device data show that MBE LWIR diode test structures have performance that equals that of p-on-n double heterostructure photodiodes made by LPE. Due to the special attention given to understanding and reducing epilayer growth-induced defects, we have achieved improvements in FPA operability values from 92% to 98%. These improvements have resulted in the demonstration of a 128 X 128 FPA hybrid that had detectivity (D*) background limited performance when operating at 80 K in a tactical background environment. Mean D* was 1.28 X 10¹¹ cmHz^1/2/W. The corresponding mean NE(Delta) T was an excellent 5.9 mK.

Date Published: 7 October 1994
PDF: 15 pages
Proc. SPIE 2274, Infrared Detectors: State of the Art II, (7 October 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.189243

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2274:
Infrared Detectors: State of the Art II
Randolph E. Longshore, Editor(s)