Influence of Free Carrier Heating on IR Light Detection in Narrow-Gap Semiconductors

摘要

Our study is concerned with peculiarities of intense CO_2 laser light detection in narrow-gap semiconductor p-n junctions. Samples of InSb, PbTe and HgCdTe were under investigation. We present experimental evidence of free carrier heating phenomenon in the semiconductors and its influence on photovoltaic signal. We show, that in particular cases, depending on laser light intensity and applied bias, the hot carrier photosignal of opposite polarity may predominate over the ordinary photovoltaic one.