NOVEL MERCURY CADMIUM TELLURIDE GROWTH PROCESS

MERCURY CADMIUM TELLURIDE (MCT) ALLOYS ARE OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE FOR NONCRYOGENICALLY COOLED 1.0 TO 16.0 MU M (IR)DETECTOR ARRAYS. WIDESPREAD DEPLOYMENT OF MCT ARRAYS BASED ON HIGH SENSITIVITY PHOTODIODES HAS BEEN SLOWED BY THE DEARTH OF REPEATABLE GROWTH PROCESSES CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY FILMS AND DEVICES WITH ABRUPT OR CONTROLLED JUNCTIONS. A NEW UNASSISTED PYROLYTIC METAL ORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD) APPROACH IS PROPOSED TO GROW EPITAXIAL HG1-XCDXTE (X 1) ALLOYS WITH +1% COMPOSITION AND THICKNESS UNIFORMITY OVER LARGE AREAS. HIGH MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS AT 10 MU M/H GROWTH RATES AND SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURES BELOW 300 DEGREES CENTIGRADE SHOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS METHOD. THE INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS OF THIS APPROACH ARE THE USE OF A UNIQUE SOURCE REAGENT SYSTEM TO ENHANCE THE GROWTH PROCESS AND THE INCORPORATION OF A NOVEL REACTANT INLET PORT TO INCREASE THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF MERCURY AT THE GROWTH SURFACE. PHASE I WILL YIELD A REPRODUCIBLE EPITAXIAL MCT GROWTH PROCESS AND LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR MCT IR DETECTOR PHOTODIODE MANUFACTURING PROCESS DEVELOPMENT IN PHASE II.