Bulk growth and surface characterization of epitaxy ready cadmium zinc telluride substrates for use in IR imaging applications

J. P. Flint; B. Martinez; T. E. M. Betz; J. Mackenzie; F. J. Kumar; L. Burgess

doi:10.1117/12.2263960

16 May 2017 Bulk growth and surface characterization of epitaxy ready cadmium zinc telluride substrates for use in IR imaging applications

J. P. Flint, B. Martinez, T. E. M. Betz, J. Mackenzie, F. J. Kumar, L. Burgess

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10177, Infrared Technology and Applications XLIII; 1017717 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2263960
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2017, Anaheim, CA, United States

Abstract

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (Cd_1-xZn_xTe or CZT) is a compound semiconductor substrate material that has been used for infrared detector (IR) applications for many years. CZT is a perfect substrate for the epitaxial growth of Mercury Cadmium Telluride (Hg_1-xCd_xTe or MCT) epitaxial layers and remains the material of choice for many high performance IR detectors and focal plane arrays that are used to detect across wide IR spectral bands. Critical to the fabrication of high performance MCT IR detectors is a high quality starting CZT substrate, this being a key determinant of epitaxial layer crystallinity, defectivity and ultimately device electro-optical performance. In this work we report on a new source of substrates suitable for IR detector applications, grown using the Travelling Heater Method (THM). This proven method of crystal growth has been used to manufacture high quality IR specification CZT substrates where industry requirements for IR transmission, dislocations, tellurium precipitates and copper impurity levels have been met. Results will be presented for the chemo-mechanical (CMP) polishing of CZT substrates using production tool sets that are identical to those that are used to produce epitaxy-ready surface finishes on related IR compound semiconductor materials such as GaSb and InSb. We will also discuss the requirements to scale CZT substrate manufacture and how with a new III-V like approach to both CZT crystal growth and substrate polishing, we can move towards a more standardized product and one that can ultimately deliver a standard round CZT substrate, as is the case for competing IR materials such as GaSb, InSb and InP.

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Citation Download Citation

J. P. Flint, B. Martinez, T. E. M. Betz, J. Mackenzie, F. J. Kumar, and L. Burgess "Bulk growth and surface characterization of epitaxy ready cadmium zinc telluride substrates for use in IR imaging applications", Proc. SPIE 10177, Infrared Technology and Applications XLIII, 1017717 (16 May 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2263960

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