Engineering topics
Khoshakhlagh, A.
Publications and source records attributed to Khoshakhlagh, A..
Band Engineering, Growth and Characteristics of Type-II InAs/GaSb Superlattice-Based Detectors
We report on band engineering, growth and device performance of infrared photodetectors based on type II InAs/Ga(In)Sb strain layer superlattices (SLs) using the complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD) design. The unipolar barriers on either side of the absorber in the CBIRD design in combination with the type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice material system are expected to outperform traditional III-V LWIR (Long-Wave InfraRed) imaging technologies and offer significant advantages over the conventional II-VI material based FPAs (Focal Plane Arrays). The innovative design of CBIRDS, barrier and band offset engineering , low defect density material growth, and robust fabrication processes have resulted in the development of high performance long wave infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
Low Frequency 1/f Noise on QWIPs, nBn, and Superlattice Focal Plane Array
Noise Equivalent Difference Temperature (NE△T) is a standard performance metric for most infrared focal plane array (FPA) systems. The frequency bandwidth and range associated with NE△T is at high frequency and it does not describe the long time noise behavior or the very low frequency noise of the FPA. Very low frequency noise measurement requires data capture that takes longer time duration and sampling interval. This study investigates low frequency noise in QWIP, nBn and LWIR n-type Complementary Barrier Infrared Detector (CBIRD) FPAs. The corner frequencies are extracted from the power spectral density (PSD) as function of frequency. The peak wavelength, quantum efficiency of QWIP detector are 6.2 µm and 2 %, respectively. QWIP FPA has a mean NE△T ~ 25 mK at an operating temperature of 65 K and an integration time of 16 msec. The mean QWIP PSD plot shows a corner frequency of < 0.5 mHz. The nBn FPA with 4 µm cut off and quantum efficiency of 67 % has NE△T ~ 15.6 mK at an integration time ~ 7.52 msec and an operating temperature of 120 K. The nBn has corner frequency of > 50 mHz. Lastly the n-type CBIRD FPA with a 50% cutoff at 8.8 µm and quantum efficiency of ~ 50 % has an NE△T ~ 18.6 mK at an integration time of 1.86 msec and operating temperature 120 K. The superlattice FPA has a corner frequency ~ 10 mHz. The investigation of the tail on the NE△T histogram reveals that its origin is not accounted for entirely by the high noise current, but also it needs the inclusion of lower responsivity for some pixels.
Modulation Transfer Function of Infrared Focal Plane Arrays
Modulation transfer function (MTF) is the ability of an imaging system to faithfully image a given object. The MTF of an imaging system quantifies the ability of the system to resolve or transfer spatial frequencies. In this presentation we will discuss the detail MTF measurements of 1024x1024 pixels mid -wavelength and long- wavelength quantum well infrared photodetector, and 320x256 pixels long- wavelength InAs/GaSb superlattice infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs). Long wavelength Complementary Barrier Infrared Detector (CBIRD) based on InAs/GaSb superlattice material is hybridized to recently designed and fabricated 320x256 pixel format ROIC. The n-type CBIRD was characterized in terms of performance and thermal stability. The experimentally measured NE delta T of the 8.8 micron cutoff n-CBIRD FPA was 18.6 mK with 300 K background and f/2 cold stop at 78K FPA operating temperature. The horizontal and vertical MTFs of this pixel fully delineated CBIRD FPA at Nyquist frequency are 49% and 52%, respectively.
Superlattice Infrared Photodetector Research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
III-V semiconductors offer a highly effective platform for the development of sophisticated heterostructure-based MWIR and LWIR detectors, as exemplified by the high-performance double heterostructure (DH) nBn, XBn, and type- II superlattice infrared detectors. A key enabling design element is the unipolar barrier, which is used to implement the complementary barrier infra-red detector (CBIRD) design for increasing the collection efficiency of photo-generated carriers, and reducing dark current generation without impeding photocurrent flow. Heterostructure superlattice detectors that make effective use of unipolar barriers have demonstrated strong reduction of generation-recombination (G-R) dark current due to Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) processes. In the last several years we solely focused on the development of antimonide based IR detectors. Recently, we demonstrated RoA values over 14,000 Ohm sq cm for a 9.9 micron cutoff device by incorporating electron-blocking and hole-blocking unipolar barriers. This device has shown 300K BLIP operation with f/2 optics at 87 K with blackbody D* of 1.1x10(exp 11) cm Hz1/2/W.
High performance GaSb/InAs superlattice long-wave infrared focal plane array
We describe the demonstration of a ¼ VGA format long-wavelength infrared focal plane array based on an InAs/GaSb superlattice absorber surrounded by an electron-blocking and a hole-blocking unipolar barrier. An 8.8 μm cutoff focal plane without antireflection coating based on this complementary barrier infrared detector design has yielded noise equivalent differential temperature of 18.6 mK at operating temperature of 80K, with 300 K background and f/2 cold-stop.
Growth and Characteristics of Type-II InAs/GaSb Superlattice-Based Detectors
We report on growth and device performance of infrared photodetectors based on type II InAs/Ga(In)Sb strain layer superlattices (SLs) using the complementary barrier infrared detector (CBIRD) design. The unipolar barriers on either side of the absorber in the CBIRD design in combination with the type-II InAs/GaSb superlattice material system are expected to outperform traditional III-V LWIR imaging technologies and offer significant advantages over the conventional II-VI material based FPAs. The innovative design of CBIRDS, low defect density material growth, and robust fabrication processes have resulted in the development of high performance long wave infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays at JPL.