InAsSb-Based Infrared Photodetectors: Thirty Years Later On

Abstract

In 1989, one author of this paper (A.R.) published the very first review paper on InAsSb infrared detectors. During the last thirty years, many scientific breakthroughs and technological advances for InAsSb-based photodetectors have been made. Progress in advanced epitaxial methods contributed considerably to the InAsSb improvement. Current efforts are directed towards the photodetector’s cut-off wavelength extension beyond lattice-available and lattice-strained binary substrates. It is suspected that further improvement of metamorphic buffers for epitaxial layers will lead to lower-cost InAsSb-based focal plane arrays on large-area alternative substrates like GaAs and silicon. Most photodetector reports in the last decade are devoted to the heterostructure and barrier architectures operating in high operating temperature conditions. In the paper, at first InAsSb growth methods are briefly described. Next, the fundamental material properties are reviewed, stressing electrical and optical aspects limiting the photodetector performance. The last part of the paper highlights new ideas in design of InAsSb-based bulk and superlattice infrared detectors and focal plane arrays. Their performance is compared with the state-of-the-art infrared detector technologies.

Low-Temperature Induced Enhancement of Photoelectric Performance in Semiconducting Nanomaterials

“…In this case, Ohmic contact, Schottky contact, the p-n junction or more complex p-i-n junction are required driving forces. Solar cells [ 13 , 59 , 60 ], III-V group infrared photodetectors [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ], as well as most ferroelectric ceramic [ 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]-based devices, have evolved from photovoltaic photodiodes. Another popular photoelectric device is the photoconductor, which responds to illumination through photoconductance changes.…”

Data Link with a High-Power Pulsed Quantum Cascade Laser Operating at the Wavelength of 4.5 µm

“…The selection of these sensors is based on their detectivity, dynamic response, time constant, operation temperature, reliability, cost, etc. The technology evaluation of infrared detectors was described in many publications [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Facile and Electrically Reliable Electroplated Gold Contacts to p-Type InAsSb Bulk-Like Epilayers

“…Among the A III -B V NBG semiconductors are arsenides (e.g., InAs and GaAs) and antimonides (e.g., InSb and GaSb) as well as their ternary alloys (e.g., InAs 1−x Sb x ), considered as crucial materials for mid-infrared (MIR) optoelectronic devices, operating with a radiation of wavelength between 2 and 14 µm [1]. The substitution of antimony sites in InSb with isovalent arsenic reduces the energy gap of an InAsSb solid solution to a value lower than the energy gap of their constituent binary compounds, being the ternary alloy with the lowest energy gap among the A III -B V semiconductors [2]. The development of InAsSb alloys led to replacing HgCdTe in MIR applications due to superior bond strengths, material stability, doping capability or high-quality A III -B V substrates [2].…”

“…The substitution of antimony sites in InSb with isovalent arsenic reduces the energy gap of an InAsSb solid solution to a value lower than the energy gap of their constituent binary compounds, being the ternary alloy with the lowest energy gap among the A III –B V semiconductors [ 2 ]. The development of InAsSb alloys led to replacing HgCdTe in MIR applications due to superior bond strengths, material stability, doping capability or high-quality A III –B V substrates [ 2 ]. The MIR photodetectors find considerable technological importance in medical diagnostics, IR imaging, environmental monitoring and chemical sensing [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”