Advanced UHV System for Producing High Performance Silicon Based Photoemmisive Infrared Sensors

An advance ultra-high vacuum (UHV) deposition system will be designed for fabrication of group IV photoemissive materials for high performance long wavelength infrared (8-12 um) focal plane applications. Device candidates including silicides, and silicon germanium superlattices and quantum wells, will be considered from the material growth perspective. Various steps of the fabrication process will be examined. The system design will address critical issues for the fabrication of these device structures. The new system will achieve a base pressure of 5E-11 Torr, be capable of reproducible atomic layer control of thickness, composition, and growth temperature, and attain a very high doping level (e.g. boron P+-spike). The system will be versatile and flexible to accommodate differences in the fabrication requirements of various devices. In situ sensing and computer control will be incorporated into the system design, and surface preparation and flex control techniques will also be evaluated. The optimized system design will be implemented in Phase II. Such a system will be suitable for low cost production of high performance DOD and commercial SiGe electronics as well.