Develop and Demonstrate High Performance Infrared Focal Plane Arrays with Advanced Quantum Structures

nBn Technologies will research the ability to make a new III-V compound alloy using InAsBi for long wave IR applications. The objective of the proposed research is to find a procedure for growing materials using Bismuth and characterize them by morphology, photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, hall, etc. For applications needing cutoff wavelengths of 5 um, 10um, 12 um and even up to 20um, a different and new material is needed, especially for use in the nBn concept [1]. It will be very desirable to grow the absorbent n material for nBn structures as an alloy that lattice matches the substrate for defect reduction, easier manufacturing, and higher yields. This alloy of course can be used in pn junction structures, too. It is desired to use the III-V material system, rather than II-VI. The absorber alloy needs to be made from InAsX material if we would like to use nBn devices. In such cases, we can use the barrier (already used for MWIR nBn) for blocking majority carriers, transferring minority carriers, and at the same time used as passivation.