Nanotechnological enhancement of infrared detectors by plasmon resonance in transparent conductive oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

We investigated the use of plasmonic nanotechnology to enhance the performance of semiconductor infrared detectors. An increase of quantum efficiency, responsivity and specific detectivity is obtained by applying transparent conductive oxide (TCO) nanoparticles onto the surface of a photodetector. To this purpose we considered uncooled mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) photoconductive detectors fabricated by isothermal vapor phase epitaxy, but the same procedure can be applied to cryogenically cooled devices, including those of photovoltaic type. The main mechanism of enhancement is light concentration ensured through localized plasmon resonance at the TCO nanoparticles and through enhanced scattering, while the desired wavelength range is reached by a further redshifting through the adjustment of nanoparticle properties. The improvement can be implemented during the final stages of production of the existing photovoltaic and photoconductive detectors. The method is applicable to various practical applications, including updating of high-precision guided ammunition. © 2012 Journal of Mechanical Engineering. All rights reserved.