USE OF THE PHOTODIELECTRIC RESPONSE OF SEMICONDUCTORS TO DETECT INFRARED AND VISIBLE RADIATION

Abstract

The feasibility of using the photo ielectric re ponse of semiconductors to detect infrared and visible radiation is shown to depend upon purity, temperature, and the frequency when the photodielectric behavior of the material is acting to change the field configuration in a resonant cavity. The frequency dependence of a reentrant coaxial cavity upon the physical properties of a terminating disc is derived using the perturbation equation. Semiconductors possess both dielectric and conductive properties which depend, in part, upon the density of free carriers. An equation relating the dielectric constant of semiconductors to the physical properties is derived. Photodielectric effects are treated theoretically to determine the minimum radiant spectral flux density required to generate an electron-hole pair density equal to the thermal carrier density. The results o the research show no improvement over photovoltaic detection with materials presently available. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1961
Accession Number
AD0265926

Entities

People

  • William H. Hartwig

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cavity Resonators
  • Dielectric Permittivity
  • Electron Holes
  • Equations
  • Flux Density
  • Frequency
  • Materials
  • Physical Properties
  • Quantum Properties
  • Radiation
  • Semiconductors

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Microwave Engineering.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Quantum spin resonance or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics