Ultimate Performance of IB CID T2SLs InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb Longwave Photodetectors for High Operating Temperature Condition

Abstract

The highest performance of interband cascade detectors optimized for the longwave range of infrared radiation is investigated in this work to include decisive electric gain contribution. Presently, AIIIBV-type-II superlattice systems exhibit short carrier lifetimes limited by Shockley–Read–Hall generation–recombination processes. The maximum reported carrier lifetimes at 77 K for the InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattices in longwave range correspond to ∼ 200 ns and ∼ 400 ns, respectively. We estimated theoretical detectivity of interband cascade detectors versus high operating temperatures, number of stages, absorber thickness, absorption coefficient and carrier lifetime; carrier lifetime were varied up to the reported value of MCT ∼ 1 μs. It has been shown that for room temperature the utmost performance–detectivity ∼ 1010 cmHz1/2/W for the optimized detector operating in the longwave range ∼ 10 μm and assuming electric gain effect could be reached.