Investigation of Normal Incidence High Performance P-Type Strained LayerInGaAs/AlGaAs and GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors

摘要

In this research project, we have demonstrated several novel strained layer p-type quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) for the 3-5 um mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and 8-14 um long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) detection. These normal incidence p-QWIPs employed the tensile and compressive strained layer quantum well structures to enhance the performance of the p-QWIPs in the MWIR and LWIR spectral bands. Peak detection wavelengths at 7.4, 8.4, 9.2 and 10.1 um with corresponding detectivities of 4x10(9), 1.66x10(10), 2.7x10(9) and 1.04x10(9) cm-Hz(1/2)/W were obtained for these QWIPs. In addition, a novel step bound to miniband InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs p-QWIP with a peak wavelength at 10.4 um and D*=4x10(9) cm-Hz(1/2)/W and a two-stack p-QWIP with peak wavelengths at 10, 5.4 and 4.8 um, D*=1.1x10(10) for the LWIR and 5.5x10(11) cm-Hz(1/2)W for the MWIR were obtained for these QWIPs. Finally, a tensile strain layer InGaAs/InAlAs p-QWIP with very low dark current, high detectivity and high BLIP temperature has also been demonstrated.