Photovoltaic IV-VI on Si infrared sensor arrays for thermal imaging

Hans Zogg; Alexander Fach; Joachim John; Jiri Masek; Peter Mueller; Carmine Paglino; Stefan Blunier

doi:10.1117/12.200617

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1 July 1995 Photovoltaic IV-VI on Si infrared sensor arrays for thermal imaging

Hans Zogg, Alexander Fach, Joachim John, Jiri Masek, Peter Mueller, Carmine Paglino, Stefan Blunier

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Optical Engineering, 34(7), (1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.200617

Abstract

Photovoltaic narrow-gap IV-VI (lead chalcogenide) infrared sensor arrays on Si substrates have the potential for low-cost infrared focal-plane arrays. The arrays can be bump bonded to readout multiplexers, or be grown on prefabricated active Si substrates containing the whole readout circuits. Sensitivities are similar to that of Hg_1-xCd_xTe, but processing procedures are much less demanding. This is because the structural quality of even heavily lattice-mismatched IV-VI layers is adequate to fabricate devices with good sensitivities, because 2- to 4-μm layer thickness suffices, and because good homogeneity in ternary Pb_1-xSn_xSe for the 8- to 12-μm range is much easier to obtain than in Hg_1-xCd_xTe. New results are presented on the molecular beam epitaxal growth of the layers, including a very thin CaF₂ buffer needed for compatibility reasons, and a new photolithographic patterning technique suited for full wafer processing has been developed to fabricate the sensor arrays. First thermal images using these chips are demonstrated.

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Hans Zogg, Alexander Fach, Joachim John, Jiri Masek, Peter Mueller, Carmine Paglino, and Stefan Blunier "Photovoltaic IV-VI on Si infrared sensor arrays for thermal imaging," Optical Engineering 34(7), (1 July 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.200617

Published: 1 July 1995

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