Temperature dependence of the figures of merit for blocked impurity band detectors

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In a recent paper [F. Szmulowicz and F. L. Madarasz, J. Appl. Phys. 62, 2533 (1987)] we introduced details of an analytical model for a top side illuminated blocked impurity band infrared detector operating under background limited conditions (BLIP). In the present paper we extend that model to a bottom side illuminated detector operating in the presence of thermally generated carriers (non-BLIP case) as well as the optically generated background carriers. We display results of a parametric study including gain, quantum efficiency, the excess noise factor, and hence the detector figures of merit responsivity and detectivity, as functions of the detector temperature. Our study of the thermal noise includes the Poole–Frenkel effect. The results of the present calculation determine optimal operating temperatures as well as bias voltages. We show that Si:As blocked impurity band detectors, doped to 5×1017 cm−3, will be background limited below 13.5 K at low background, 1010 photons cm−2 s−1 operation, with responsivities and detectivities on the order of 5 A/W and 1014 cm Hz1/2/W, respectively.