Amir Karim

Photoluminescence and photoresponse from InSb/InAs-based quantum dot structures

InSb-based quantum dots grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on InAs substrates are studied for use as the active material in interband photon detectors. Long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) photoluminescence is demonstrated with peak emission at 8.5 µm and photoresponse, interpreted to originate from type-II interband transitions in a p-i-n photodiode, was measured up to 6 µm, both at 80 K. The possibilities and benefits of operation in the LWIR range (8-12 µm) are discussed and the results suggest that InSb-based quantum dot structures can be suitable candidates for photon detection in the LWIR regime.

Infrared detectors: Advances, challenges and new technologies

Human knowledge of infrared (IR) radiation is about 200 years old. However it was in the late 20th century that we developed a wide range of smart technologies for detection and started to take advantage for our benefit. Today IR detector technology is in its 3rd generation and comes with challenging demands. Based on the propagation of IR radiation through free space it is divided into different transmission windows. The most interesting for thermal imaging are the mid-wave IR (MWIR) and the long-wave IR (LW IR). Infrared detectors for thermal imaging have a number of applications in industry, security, search & rescue, surveillance, medicine, research, meteorology, climatology and astronomy. Currently high-performance IR imaging technology is mainly based on epitaxially grown structures of the small-bandgap bulk alloy mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT), indium antimonide (InSb) and GaAs based quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), depending on the application and wavelength range. However, they operate at low temperatures requiring costly and bulky cryogenic systems. In addition there is always a need for better performance, which generates possibilities for developing new technologies. Some emerging technologies are quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs), type-II strained layer super-lattice, and QDIPs with type-II band alignment. In this report a brief review of the current and new technologies for high performance IR detectors, will be presented.

Characterization of InSb QDs grown on InAs (100) substrate by MBE and MOVPE

We report on the optical and structural characterization of InSb QDs in InAs matrix, grown on InAs (100) substrates, for infrared photodetection. InSb has 7% lattice mismatch with InAs forming strained QDs, which are promising for longwave IR applications, due to their type-II band alignment. This report contains material development results of InSb QDs for increasing their emission wavelength towards long-wave IR region. Samples were grown by two techniques of MBE and MOVPE, with different InSb coverage on InAs (100) substrates. Structures grown by MBE reveal QD related photoluminescence at 4 μm. AFM investigations of the MBE grown structures showed uncapped dots of ~ 35 nm in size and ~ 3 nm in height, with a density of about 2 x 1010 cm-2. Cross-section TEM investigations of buried InSb layers grown by MBE showed coherently strained QDs for nominal InSb coverage in the range of 1.6 - 2 monolayers (MLs). Layers with InSb coverage more than 2MLs contain relaxed QDs with structural defects due to large amount of strain between InSb and InAs. Samples with such large dots did not show any InSb related luminescence. The MOVPE grown InSb samples exhibit a strong QD related emission between 3.8 to 7.5 μm, depending on the amount of InSb coverage and other growth parameters. We report the longest wavelength observed so far in this material system.

Auger recombination in In(Ga)Sb/InAs quantum dots

We report on the epitaxial formation of type II In0.5Ga0.5Sb/InAs and InSb/InAs quantum dot ensembles using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Employing scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we determine spatial quantum dot dimensions smaller than the de Broglie wavelength of InGaSb, which strongly indicates a three dimensional hole confinement. Photoluminescence spectroscopy at low temperatures yields an enhanced radiative recombination in the mid-infrared regime at energies of 170–200 meV. This luminescence displays a strong excitation power dependence with a blueshift indicating a filling of excited quantum dot hole states. Furthermore, a rate equation model is used to extract the Auger recombination coefficient from the power dependent intensity at 77 K yielding values of 1.35 × 10−28 cm6/s for In0.5Ga0.5Sb/InAs quantum dots and 1.47 × 10−27 cm6/s for InSb/InAs quantum dots, which is about one order of magnitude lower as previously obtained values for InGaSb superlattices.

Recent developments in type-II superlattice detectors at IRnova AB

A mid wave infrared type-II superlattice focal plane array with 320x256 pixels, 30 μm pitch and 90 % fill factor was fabricated in house, using a conventional homojunction p-i-n photodiode design and the ISC9705 readout circuit. High-quality imaging up to 110 K is demonstrated with the substrate fully removed. The absorber is 2 μm thick, and no anti-reflection coating was used, so there is still room for significant improvement of the quantum efficiency, which is in the 40 % range. Studies of the dark current vs. temperature behavior indicate that the device is limited by Shockley-Read-Hall generation from the depletion region. The activation energy of this dark current component is 0.13 eV, suggesting an unidentified recombination center positioned halfway into the 0.24 eV bandgap. Furthermore, we report on detectors with 100 % cut-off at 13 μm. The dark current density at 60 K and -50 mV bias is 2x10-4 A/cm2. Quantum efficiency, NETD and BLIP temperature are also calculated. Position-sensitive photocurrent measurements on mesa-etched superlattice material were made at low temperatures using a focused laser spot. The lateral diffusion length for holes was extracted and is reported.

In(Ga)Sb/InAs quantum dot based IR photodetectors with thermally activated photoresponse

We report on the device characterization of In(Ga)Sb/InAs quantum dots (QDs) based photodetectors for long wave IR detectors. The detection principle of these quantum-dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) is based on the spatially indirect transition between the In(Ga)Sb QDs and the InAs matrix, as a result of the type-II band alignment. Such photodetectors are expected to have lower dark currents and higher operating temperatures compared to the current state of the art InSb and mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) technology. The In(Ga)Sb QD structures were grown using metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy and explored using structural, electrical and optical characterization techniques. Material development resulted in obtaining photoluminescence up to 10 μm, which is the longest wavelength reported in this material system. We have fabricated different photovoltaic IR detectors from the developed material that show absorption up to 8 μm. Photoresponse spectra, showing In(Ga)Sb QD related absorption edge, were obtained up to 200 K. Detectors with different In(Ga)Sb QDs showing different cut-off wavelengths were investigated for photoresponse. Photoresponse in these detectors is thermally activated with different activation energies for devices with different cut-off wavelengths. Devices with longer cut-off wavelength exhibit higher activation energies. We can interpret this using the energy band diagram of the dots/matrix system for different QD sizes.

Analysis of surface oxides on narrow bandgap III-V semiconductors leading towards surface leakage free IR photodetectors

Narrow bandgap semiconductors GaSb, InAs, and InSb are important building blocks for infrared photodetectors based on type-II InSb quantum dots or an InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice. Understanding the surface chemical composition of these materials can provide valuable information that enables optimization of device surface passivation techniques leading towards surface leakage free IR photodetectors. We report on an investigation into Ga-, In-, Sb-, and As-oxides and other chemical species on the surface of untreated, dry etched and thermally treated GaSb, InAs and InSb samples by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal the presence of Sb- and Ga-oxides on the surfaces of the untreated and treated GaSb samples. Both Sb- and In-oxides were observed on the surface of all InSb samples, and especially the dry etched sample had thicker oxide layers. In the case of the InAs samples, not only In- and As-oxides XPS signals were obtained, but also AsCl species were found on the ICP dry etched sample. These results helped to analyze the dark current of our fabricated IR detectors.

Surface states characterization and simulation of Type-II In(Ga)Sb quantum dot structures for processing optimization of LWIR detectors

Quantum structures base on type-II In(Ga)Sb quantum dots (QDs) embedded in an InAs matrix were used as active material for achieving long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) photodetectors in this work. Both InAs and In(Ga)Sb are narrow band semiconductor materials and known to possess a large number of surface states, which apparently play significant impact for the detector’s electrical and optical performance. These surface states are caused not only by material or device processing induced defects but also by surface dangling bonds, oxides, roughness and contaminants. To experimentally analyze the surface states of the QD structures treated by different device fabrication steps, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were performed. The results were used to optimize the fabrication process of the LWIR photodetectors in our ongoing project. The dark current and its temperature dependence of the fabricated IR photodetectors were characterized in temperature range 10 K to 300 K, and the experiment results were analyzed by a theoretic modeling obtained using simulation tool MEDICI.

MBE Growth of Sb-based type-2 quantum dots for the application to long wavelength sensors

InSb nanostructures embedded in InAs and InAsSb matrices were grown on InAs (001) and GaAs (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The diameter and height of InSb quantum dots (QDs) on InAs with 2ML-InSb coverage grown by Stranski-Krastanov (S-K) are ~36.8 nm and ~3.1 nm, respectively. The density of QDs is ~2.5×1010 cm-2. The size distribution of InSb QDs on InAs with 2ML-InSb coverage grown by migration enhanced epitaxy (MEE) was larger than that of its S-K counterpart. Unique InSb quantum dashes (Q-dashes) on InAsSb elongated along two directions were found on an AlSb-buffered GaAs substrate. InSb Q-dashes grown by migration enhanced epitaxy (MEE) were ~159 nm in length, ~63 nm in width, and ~11 nm in height. A large reduction of volume of InSb structures between those in the matrix and those on the surface was found. Threading disl°Cations resulting from the Q-dash structures were also observed. This may be attributed to As-Sb exchange.