中国物理B ›› 2019, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 27801-027801.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/28/2/027801

所属专题: TOPICAL REVIEW — Photodetector: Materials, physics, and applications

• SPECIAL TOPIC—Recent advances in thermoelectric materials and devices • 上一篇    下一篇

Progress in quantum well and quantum cascade infrared photodetectors in SITP

Xiaohao Zhou(周孝好), Ning Li(李宁), Wei Lu(陆卫)   

  1. State key Laboratory for Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics(SITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200083, China
  • 收稿日期:2018-11-26 修回日期:2018-12-19 出版日期:2019-02-05 发布日期:2019-02-05
  • 通讯作者: Ning Li, Wei Lu E-mail:ningli@mail.sitp.ac.cn;luwei@mail.sitp.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFB0402402) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61521005).

Progress in quantum well and quantum cascade infrared photodetectors in SITP

Xiaohao Zhou(周孝好), Ning Li(李宁), Wei Lu(陆卫)   

  1. State key Laboratory for Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics(SITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200083, China
  • Received:2018-11-26 Revised:2018-12-19 Online:2019-02-05 Published:2019-02-05
  • Contact: Ning Li, Wei Lu E-mail:ningli@mail.sitp.ac.cn;luwei@mail.sitp.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFB0402402) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61521005).

摘要: This paper presents a review of recent advances in quantum well and quantum cascade infrared photodetectors developed in Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SITP/CAS). Firstly, the temperature- and bias-dependent photocurrent spectra of very long wavelength (VLW) GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are studied using spectroscopic measurements and corresponding theoretical calculations in detail. We confirm that the first excited state, which belongs to the quasi-bound state, can be converted into a quasi-continuum state induced by bias and temperature. Aided by band structure calculations, we propose a model of the double excited states that determine the working mechanism in VLW QWIPs. Secondly, we present an overview of a VLW QWIP focal plane array (FPA) with 320×256 pixels based on the bound to quasi-bound (BTQB) design. The technology of the manufacturing FPA based on the QWIP structures has been demonstrated. At the operating temperature of 45 K, the detectivity of QWIP FPA is larger than 1.4×1010 cm·Hz1/2/W with a cutoff wavelength larger than 16 μm. Finally, to meet the needs of space applications, we proposed a new long wavelength quantum cascade detector with a broadband detection ranging from 7.6 μm to 10.4 μm. With a pair of identical coupled quantum wells separated by a thin barrier, acting as absorption regions, the relative linewidth (Δ E/E) of response can be dramatically broadened to 30.7%. It is shown that the spectral shape and linewidth can be tuned by the thickness of the thin barrier, while it is insensitive to the working temperature. The device can work above liquid nitrogen temperature with a peak responsivity of 63 mA/W and Johnson noise limited detectivity of 5.1×109 cm·Hz1/2/W.

关键词: infrared photodetectors, quantum well, focal plane array, detectivity, broadband response

Abstract: This paper presents a review of recent advances in quantum well and quantum cascade infrared photodetectors developed in Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SITP/CAS). Firstly, the temperature- and bias-dependent photocurrent spectra of very long wavelength (VLW) GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are studied using spectroscopic measurements and corresponding theoretical calculations in detail. We confirm that the first excited state, which belongs to the quasi-bound state, can be converted into a quasi-continuum state induced by bias and temperature. Aided by band structure calculations, we propose a model of the double excited states that determine the working mechanism in VLW QWIPs. Secondly, we present an overview of a VLW QWIP focal plane array (FPA) with 320×256 pixels based on the bound to quasi-bound (BTQB) design. The technology of the manufacturing FPA based on the QWIP structures has been demonstrated. At the operating temperature of 45 K, the detectivity of QWIP FPA is larger than 1.4×1010 cm·Hz1/2/W with a cutoff wavelength larger than 16 μm. Finally, to meet the needs of space applications, we proposed a new long wavelength quantum cascade detector with a broadband detection ranging from 7.6 μm to 10.4 μm. With a pair of identical coupled quantum wells separated by a thin barrier, acting as absorption regions, the relative linewidth (Δ E/E) of response can be dramatically broadened to 30.7%. It is shown that the spectral shape and linewidth can be tuned by the thickness of the thin barrier, while it is insensitive to the working temperature. The device can work above liquid nitrogen temperature with a peak responsivity of 63 mA/W and Johnson noise limited detectivity of 5.1×109 cm·Hz1/2/W.

Key words: infrared photodetectors, quantum well, focal plane array, detectivity, broadband response

中图分类号:  (III-V semiconductors)

  • 78.66.Fd
78.67.De (Quantum wells) 85.35.Be (Quantum well devices (quantum dots, quantum wires, etc.)) 85.60.Gz (Photodetectors (including infrared and CCD detectors))