Systematic analysis of New Technologies and trends of infrared photodetectors

Abstract

Infrared detection has always been regarded as an important technology with significant applications in military, industrial, and daily life. Infrared photodetectors (IRPDs) have experienced the development process from thermal IRPDs to photonic IRPDs, until now, the latter can be widely used in focal plane array (FPA). For a long time, IRPD technology based on HgCdTe and InSb materials has dominated the market, but there are still limitations in operating temperature and detectable wavelength region. Since the 21st century, people have been committed to researching new types of IRPDs. Type-II superlattice system technology is considered an alternative solution to the long wave region, and its performance can be improved by adding unipolar potential barriers, which only allow one type of carriers to pass normally. Quantum well and quantum dot are new IRPD technologies based on quantum theory. The former is based on developed GaAs growth technology and can reduce production costs; The latter utilizes the binding mechanism of quantum dots to increase the operating temperature, but whether it can be applied to large-scale devices remains to be researched. All these technologies will contribute to the development and application of the third generation of IRPD.