High Performance Dual Band Photodetector Arrays for MWIR/LWIR Imaging

This proposed Phase II program seeks to create dual-band pixel-collocated MWIR/LWIR photodetector arrays based on III-V semiconductor materials in a Type-II superlattice structure. The Type-II superlattice offers a customizable cutoff wavelength while maintaining a lattice-matched condition to the host substrate. This superlattice also has lower Auger-recombination, which reduces dark current noise, than HgCdTe solutions, and is sensitive to normal incidence radiation, in contrast to QWIP approaches. The Phase I efforts successfully designed, fabricated and characterized a Type-II dual band IR photodetector. The superlattice material growth will be further optimized in the Phase II, along with modifying the fabrication steps required to realize dual-band photodetector arrays.