MERCURY MANGANESE TELLURIDE AND MERCURY ZINC TELLURIDE MOCVD-GROWN FIR DETECTOR MATERIALS

THERE IS A NEED IN THE INFRARED DETECTOR COMMUNITY FOR HIGH QUALITY FILMS THAT WILL PROVIDE OPTIMUM DETECTION QUALITIES AND WHICH CAN BE READILY PROCESSED WITHOUT DEGRADING POTENTIAL DEVICE PERFORMANCE. PRESENT MATERIAL UTILIZATION HAS FOCUSED ON HG(1)X CD(X)TE. ITS TUNABLE BANDGAP AND HIGH QUANTUM EFFICIENCIES FOR THE 3-5 MICROMETERS AND 8-14 MICROMETERS ATMOSPHERIC WINDOWS MAKE IT PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE. HOWEVER, THIS MATERIAL HAS PROVED DIFFICULT TO GROW AND FABRICATE INTO DEVICES. HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF NATIVE DEFECTS AND THE RAPID DIFFUSTION OF IMPURITIES AND MAJORITY ATOMS HG AND CD ARE SIGNIFICANT DRAWBACKS OF THIS MATERIAL. METHODS TO ALLEVIATE THESE PROBLEMS HAVE CENTERED ON LOW TEMPERATURE GROWTH TECHNIQUES AND THE USE OF HIGH CRYSTALLINE QUALITY FOREIGN SUBSTRATES. CORRESPONDINGLY, ALTERNATIVE INFRARED ABSORBING FILMS ARE NOW ALSO UNDER INTENSE INVESTIGATION. SPIRE CORPORATION PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE AND EVALUATE THE GROWTH OF HG(1)XMN(X)TE AND HG(1)XZN(X)TE, AS ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS TO HGCDTE, FOR FIR APPLICATIONS VIA AN MOCVD PROCESS. LOW TEMPERATURE GROWTH TECHNIQUES WILL BE EMPHASIZED AND INVESTIGATED. THE STUDY WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF REACTANT COMPONENTS AND A REACTOR SYSTEM DESIGN FOR LOW TEMPERATURE DEPOSITION OF THESE MATERIALS.