NIR, MWIR and LWIR quantum well infrared photodetector using interband and intersubband transitions

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2006.10.021This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a QWIP photodetector capable of detecting simultaneously infrared radiation within near infrared (NIR), mid wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long wavelength infrared (LWIR). The NIR detection was achieved using interband transition while MWIR and LWIR were based on intersubband transition in the conduction band. The quantum well structure was designed using a computational tool developed to solve self-consistently the Schro¨dinger–Poisson equation with the help of the shooting method. Intersubband absorption in the sample was measured for the MWIR and LWIR using Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and the measured peak positions were found at 5.3 lm and 8.7 lm which agree well with the theoretical values obtained 5.0 lm and 9.0 lm for the two infrared bands which indicates the accuracy of the self-consistent model. The photodetectors were fabricated using a standard photolithography process with exposed middle contacts to allow separate bias and readout of signals from the three wavelength bands. The measured photoresponse gave three peaks at 0.84 lm, 5.0 lm and 8.5 lm wavelengths with approximately 0.5 A/W, 0.03 A/W and 0.13 A/W peak responsivities for NIR, MWIR and LWIR bands, respectively. This work demonstrates the possibility of detection of widely separated wavelength bands using interband and intersubband transitions in quantum wells.The work is supported in part by a grant through the Research Office of the Naval Postgraduate School

LWIR/SWIR Switchable Two Color Device based on InP/InGaAs Integrated HBT/QWIP

NRC publication: Ye

GaN/AlGaN heterojunction infrared detector responding in 8-14 \ub5m and 20-70 \ub5m ranges

NRC publication: Ye

GaN/AlGaN ultraviolet/infrared dual-band detectors

NRC publication: Ye