Performance analysis of an N-structure type-II superlattice photodetector for long wavelength infrared applications

We propose a high performance N-structure type-II superlattice (T2SL) photodetector for long wavelength infrared (LWIR) applications. Theoretical study on the electrical and optical properties of the N-structure T2SL LWIR detector with different carrier concentration and different thicknesses in the p-region is carried out. We obtain the relationship of material parameters and performance parameters. With the increasing of the thickness of p-region, quantum efficiency (QE) gradually improves. In contrast, zero-bias resistance area (R(0)A) product decreases. QE will significantly decreases when the carrier concentration of p-region is too high, while R(0)A first increases, then decreases. The results show that the performance of the N-structure T2SL LWIR detector can be state of the art by optimizing the carrier concentration and material thickness during the structure growth and device fabrication. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.