Modeling and experimental results of low-background extrinsic double-injection IR detector response

摘要

Bias-dependent response of an extrinsic double-injection IR detector under irradiation from extrinsic and intrinsic responsivity spectral ranges was obtained analytically and through numerical modeling. The model includes the transient response and generation-recombination noise as well. It is shown that a great increase in current responsivity (by orders of magnitude) without essential change in detectivity can take place in the range of extrinsic responsivity for detectors on semiconductor materials with long-lifetime minority charge carriers if double-injection photodiodes are made on them instead photoconductive detectors. Field dependence of the lifetimes and mobilities of charge carriers essentially influences detector characteristics especially in the voltage range where the drift length of majority carriers is greater than the distance between the contacts. The model developed is in good agreement with experimental data obtained for n-Si:Cd, p-Ge:Au, and Ge:Hg diodes, as well as for diamond detectors of radiations. A BLIP-detection responsivity of about 2000 AAV (for a wavelength of 10 micrometers) for Ge:Hg diodes has been reached in a frequency range of 500 Hz under a background of 6 x 10~(11) cm~(-2)s~(-1) at a temperature of 20 K. Possibilities of optimization of detector performance are discussed. Extrinsic double-injection photodiodes and other detectors of radiations with internal gain based on double injection are reasonable to use in the systems liable to strong disturbance action, in particular to vibrations, because high responsivity can ensure higher resistance to interference.