We report here a heterojunction band gap engineered type-II InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice photodiode for longwave infrared detection. The reported PbIbN architecture shows improved performance over conventional PIN design due to unipolar current blocking layers. At 77 K and Vb=−0.25 V, responsivity of 1.8 A/W, dark current density of 1.2 mA/cm2, single pass quantum efficiency of 23%, and shot noise limited detectivity (D∗) of 8.7×1010 cm Hz1/2 W−1 (λc=10.8 μm) were measured. The device demonstrated background limited performance at 100 K under 300 K for 2π field of view.

We report on an interband cascade mid-wave infrared (MWIR) detector based on type-II InAs/GaSb/AlSb strained layer superlattices (T2SL). The reported device has a seven-stage cascade region, each segment containing a MWIR absorber region, a graded T2SL transport region, and an interband tunneling region. Above room temperature spectral response was observed, with a cutoff wavelength of 7 μm at 420 K. Detailed radiometric measurements yielded a Johnson noise limited detectivity of 3.0 × 1011 cmHz1/2W−1 (8.9 × 108 cmHz1/2W−1) and a dark current density of 3.6 × 10−7 A/cm−2 (7.3 × 10−3 A/cm−2) near zero bias with a 100% cutoff wavelength of 5.2 μm and 6.2 μm at 77 K (295 K), respectively, with an estimated 36.2% QE.

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The temperature-dependent behaviour of the bandgap of mid- and long-wavelength as well as dual-colour (mid-/long-wavelength) infrared detectors based on InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattices (SLSs) with p-i-n and nBn designs has been investigated with temperature-dependent absorption, photoluminescence and spectral response techniques. Values of Varshni parameters, zero temperature bandgap E 0 and empirical coefficient α, were extracted and tabulated. The MWIR and LWIR superlattice detectors showed a temperature change of 0.325 meV K−1 and 0.282 meV K−1, respectively. These values are a factor of two lower than that of HgCdTe and InSb, making them attractive for higher operating temperatures.