Characterization of HgCdTe and Related Materials and Substrates for Third Generation Infrared Detectors

Abstract

HgCdTe is currently the dominant material for infrared sensing and imaging, and is usually grown on lattice-matched bulk CdZnTe (CZT) substrates. There have been significant recent efforts to identify alternative substrates to CZT as well as alternative detector materials to HgCdTe. In this dissertation research, a wide range of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging and analytical techniques was used in the characterization of epitaxial HgCdTe and related materials and substrates for third generation IR detectors. ZnTe layers grown on Si substrates are considered to be promising candidates for lattice-matched, large-area, and low-cost composite substrates for deposition of II-VI and III-V compound semiconductors with lattice constants near 6.1 . After optimizing MBE growth conditions including substrate pretreatment prior to film growth, as well as nucleation and growth temperatures, thick ZnTe/Si films with high crystallinity, low defect density, and excellent surface morphology were achieved. Changes in the Zn/Te flux ratio used during growth were also investigated. Small-probe microanalysis confirmed that a small amount of As was present at the ZnTe/Si interface.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA616494

Entities

People

  • Jae J. Kim

Organizations

  • Arizona State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Band Gaps
  • Band Structures
  • Compound Semiconductors
  • Crystal Lattices
  • Crystals
  • Diffraction
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Energy Bands
  • Energy Gaps
  • Epitaxial Growth
  • Image Processing
  • Infrared Detectors
  • Measurement
  • Molecular Beam Epitaxy
  • Quantum Wells
  • Semiconductors

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Semiconductor Device Technology
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene