Resonant-cavity infrared photodetectors with fully-depleted absorbers

US10062794B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Jerry R. Meyer · Catonsville, US
• Igor Vurgaftman · Pikesville, US
• Chadwick Lawrence Canedy · Washington, US
• William W. Bewley · Falls Church, US
• Chul Soo Kim · Springfield, US
• Charles D. Merritt · Fairfax, US
• Michael V. Warren · Arlington, US
• Mijin Kim · Suwon-si, KR

Key dates

• Filing date: May 26, 2017
• Grant date: Aug 28, 2018
• Expiry date: May 26, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/544

Abstract

Resonant-cavity infrared photodetector (RCID) devices that include a thin absorber layer contained entirely within the resonant cavity. In some embodiments, the absorber region is a single type-II InAs—GaSb interface situated between an n-type region comprising an AlSb/InAs n-type superlattice and a p-type AlSb/GaSb region. In other embodiments, the absorber region comprises one or more quantum wells formed on an upper surface of the n-type region. In other embodiments, the absorber region comprises a “W”-structured quantum well situated between two barrier layers, the “W”-structured quantum well comprising a hole quantum well sandwiched between two electron quantum wells. In other embodiments, an RCID in accordance with the present invention includes a thin absorber region and an nBn or pBp active core within a resonant cavity.