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HgCdTe is a well-known material for state-of-the-art infrared photodetectors. The interd-iffused multilayer process (IMP) is used for Metal–Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) of HgCdTe heterostructures, enabling precise control of composition. In this method, alternating HgTe and CdTe layers are deposited, and they homogenize during growth due to interdiffusion, resulting in a near-uniform material. However, the relatively low (350 °C) IMP MOCVD growth temperature may result in significant residual compositional inhomogeneities. In this work, we have investigated the residual inhomogeneities in the IMP-grown HgCdTe layers and their influence on material properties. Significant IMP growth-related oscillations of composition have been revealed in as-grown epilayers with the use of a high-resolution Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). The oscillations can be minimized with post-growth annealing of the layers at a temperature exceeding that of growth. The electric and photoelectric characterizations showed a significant reduction in the background doping and an increase in the recombination time, which resulted in dramatic improvement of the spectral responsivity of photoconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents state of work in technology of free-space optical communications (Free Space Optics − FSO). Both commercially available optical data links and their further development are described. The main elements and operation limiting factors of FSO systems have been identified. Additionally, analyses of FSO/RF hybrid systems application are included. The main aspects of LasBITer project related to such hybrid technology for security and defence applications are presented.

In this work we report simulation and experimental results for an MWIR HgCdTe photodetector designed by computer simulation and fabricated in a joint laboratory run by VIGO Sytems S.A. and Military University of Technology. The device is based on a modified N+pP+ heterostructure grown on 2”., epiready, semi-insulating (100) GaAs substrates in a horizontal MOCVD AIX 200 reactor.

The quantum efficiency of an InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice (T2SL) high operating temperature (HOT) long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) photodetector may be significantly improved by integrating a two-dimensional subwavelength hole array in a metallic film (2DSHA) with the detector heterostructure. The role of the metallic grating is to couple incident radiation into surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes whose field overlaps the absorber region. Plasmon-enhanced infrared photodetectors have been recently demonstrated and are the subject of intensive research. Optical modelling of the three-dimensional detector structure with subwavelength metallic components is challenging, especially since its operation depends on evanescent wave coupling. Our modelling approach combines the 3D finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) and the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) with a proposed adaptive data-point selection for calculation time reduction. We demonstrate that the 2DSHA-based detector supports SPPs in the Sommerfeld-Zenneck regime and waveguide modes that both enhance absorption in the active layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the high-operating temperature performance of InAsSb/AlSb heterostructure detectors with cutoff wavelengths near 5 μm at 230 K. The devices have been fabricated with different types of absorbing layers: nominally undoped absorber (with n-type conductivity), and both n- and p-type doped. The results show that the device performance strongly depends on absorber layer type. Generally, the p-type absorber provides higher values of current responsivity than the n-type absorber, but at the same time also higher values of dark current. The device with the nominally undoped absorbing layer shows moderate values of both current responsivity and dark current. Resulting detectivities D* of nonimmersed devices vary from 2 × 109 to 5 × 109 cmHz1/2W-1 at 230 K, which is easily achievable with a two-stage thermoelectric cooler. Optical immersion increases the detectivity up to 5 × 1010 cmHz1/2W-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) infrared photodetectors are used in many applications due to their high quantum efficiency and large bandwidth. Therefore, wide device diversity is desired. In this paper, recent tendencies in design and fabrication of these devices are presented. Various issues for InGaAs/InA1As/InP RCE detectors operating at 1.55 µm and HgCdTe/CdTe/GaAs RCE devices dedicated for 10.6 µm radiation detection are discussed. The detector structures were grown by means of two industry standard technologies, i.e., molecular beam epitaxy and metaloorganic chemical vapor deposition. Optimized devices can be optically integrated with monolithic microlenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]