Grating-free high-x InP/InxGa1-xAs mid-wavelength infrared QWIP focal plane array

Abstract

The authors report the characteristics of a diffraction-grating-free mid-wavelength infrared InP/In0.85Ga0.15As quantum well infrared photodetector focal plane array with a 640 × 512 format and a 15 m pitch. Combination of a normal incident radiation sensing ability of the high-x InxGa1-xAs quantum wells with a large gain property of the InP barriers led to a diffraction-grating-free quantum well infrared photodetector focal plane array with characteristics displaying great promise to keep the status of the quantum well infrared photodetector as a robust member of the new generation thermal imaging sensor family. The focal plane array exhibited excellent uniformity with noise equivalent temperature difference nonuniformity as low as 10% and a mean noise equivalent temperature difference below 20 mK with f/2 optics at 78 K in the absence of grating. Elimination of the diffraction-grating and large enough conversion efficiency (as high as 70% at a −3.5 V bias voltage) abolish the bottlenecks of the quantum well infrared photodetector technology for the new generation very small-pitch focal plane arrays.