Graded band gap for dark-current suppression in long-wave infrared W-structured type-II superlattice photodiodes

A new W-structured type-II superlattice photodiode design, with graded band gap in the depletion region, is shown to strongly suppress dark currents due to tunneling and generation-recombination processes. The long-wave infrared (LWIR) devices display 19%-29% quantum efficiency and substantially reduced dark currents. The median dynamic impedance-area product of 216 Omega cm(2) for 33 devices with 10.5 mu m cutoff at 78 K is comparable to that for state-of-the-art HgCdTe-based photodiodes. The sidewall resistivity of approximate to 70 k Omega cm for untreated mesas is also considerably higher than previous reports for passivated or unpassivated type-II LWIR photodiodes, apparently indicating self-passivation by the graded band gap. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.