DUAL-BAND INFRARED DETECTOR AND METHOD OF DETECTING MULTIPLE BANDS OF INFRARED RADIATION

• US 20160290865A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Delaunay, Pierre-Yves
• Granted Patent: US 9,755,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0304 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03046 including ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs, InGaAsP
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035236 Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1013 devices sensitive to two or more wavelengths, e.g. multi-spectrum radiation detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

A dual-band infrared detector is provided. The dual-band infrared detector includes a first absorption layer sensitive to radiation in only a short wavelength infrared spectral band, a plurality of barrier layers coupled to the first absorption layer, and a second absorption layer coupled to the plurality of barrier layers opposite the first absorption layer. The second absorption layer is sensitive to radiation in only a medium wavelength infrared spectral band, and the first and second absorption layers are formed from materials having a lattice parameter mismatch less than a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A dual-band infrared detector comprising:

a first absorption layer sensitive to radiation in only a short wavelength infrared spectral band;

a plurality of barrier layers coupled to said first absorption layer; and

a second absorption layer coupled to said plurality of barrier layers opposite said first absorption layer, said second absorption layer sensitive to radiation in only a medium wavelength infrared spectral band, wherein said first and second absorption layers are formed from materials having a lattice parameter mismatch less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second absorption layers are formed from materials having a lattice parameter mismatch of less than 0.8 percent.

3. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first absorption layer is sensitive to wavelengths of up to 2.5 micrometers.

4. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second absorption layer is sensitive to wavelengths within a range between 2.5 micrometers and 5 micrometers.

5. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first absorption layer is formed from a superlattice structure comprising at least one layer of a first semiconductor material and at least one layer of a second semiconductor material.

6. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 5, wherein said first semiconductor material comprises Indium and Arsenic, and wherein said second semiconductor material comprises Aluminum and Antimony.

7. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second absorption layer comprises Indium, Arsenic, and Antimony.

8. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of barrier layers comprise at least one layer of AlGaSb and at least one layer of AlAsSb.

9. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first p-n junction comprising said first absorption layer and at least one short wavelength barrier layer of said plurality of barrier layers; and

a second p-n junction comprising said second absorption layer and at least medium wavelength barrier layer of said plurality of barrier layers.

10. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

at least one buffer layer coupled to said first absorption layer; and

a substrate coupled to said at least one buffer layer, wherein said at least one buffer layer.

11. An imaging system comprising:

a readout integrated circuit; and

a dual-band infrared detector electrically coupled to said readout integrated circuit, wherein said dual-band infrared detector comprises;

a first absorption layer, said first absorption layer sensitive to radiation in only a short wavelength infrared spectral band;

a plurality of barrier layers coupled to said first absorption layer; and

a second absorption layer coupled to said plurality of barrier layers opposite said first absorption layer, said second absorption layer sensitive to radiation in only a medium wavelength infrared spectral band, wherein said first and second absorption layers are formed from materials having a lattice parameter mismatch of less than a predetermined threshold,

wherein said readout integrated circuit is configured to selectively apply a bias voltage to said dual-band infrared detector.

12. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 11, wherein said first absorption layer is sensitive to wavelengths of up to 2.5 micrometers.

13. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 11, wherein said second absorption layer is sensitive to wavelengths within a range between 2.5 micrometers and 5 micrometers.

14. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 11, wherein said first absorption layer is formed from a superlattice structure comprising at least one layer of a first semiconductor material and at least one layer of a second semiconductor material.

15. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first semiconductor material comprises Indium and Arsenic, and wherein said second semiconductor material comprises Aluminum and Antimony.

16. The dual-band infrared detector in accordance with claim 11, wherein said second absorption layer comprises Indium, Arsenic, and Antimony.

17. A method of detecting multiple bands of infrared radiation, said method comprising:

selectively applying bias voltages to a dual-band infrared detector including a first absorption layer and a second absorption layer, wherein the first absorption layer formed from an InAs/AlSb superlattice structure is sensitive to radiation in only a short wavelength infrared spectral band, and the second absorption layer formed from an InAsSb alloy material is sensitive to radiation in only a medium wavelength infrared spectral band;

receiving a first electrical signal from the dual-band infrared detector when a bias voltage having a first polarity is applied thereto, the first electrical signal corresponding to detection of radiation in the short wavelength infrared spectral band; and

receiving a second electrical signal from the dual-band infrared detector when a bias voltage having a opposite second polarity is applied thereto, the second electrical signal corresponding to detection of radiation in the medium wavelength infrared spectral band.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein selectively applying bias voltages comprises applying the bias voltages to the dual-band infrared detector sequentially.

19. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising selectively applying the bias voltage to the first absorption layer sensitive to wavelengths of up to 2.5 micrometers.

20. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising selectively applying the bias voltage to the second absorption layer sensitive to wavelengths within a range between 2.5 micrometers and 5 micrometers.