Infrared Detectors

Infrared focal plane arrays (IR FPAs) are of high importance for a variety of defense, scientific, and commercial applications. HgCdTe is currently the premier material for high performance infrared detection applications. This narrow-bandgap II-VI compound semiconductor alloy is extremely challenging to grow and process. Though this material has been studied for decades, the ability to achieve and control the growth of high quality epitaxial HgCdTe material for FPA applications has only occured recently. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has enabled the growth and control over sophisticated multilayer HgCdTe structures needed for detectors demanding high-performance, multi-spectral detection, and high operating temperature. In addition to HgCdTe IR detectors, we are contributing to efforts to investigate the potential for bandgap-engineered IR detectors based on quantum dots.

We are currently working with EPIR Technologies to develop advanced HgCdTe IR detector structures and detector fabrication technologies. . 

 

Infrared Detector links of interest

· AFRL

· ARL

· BAE

· DRS

· EPIR

· EOC

· HRL

· II-VI Workshop

· JPL

· NVESD

· Raytheon

· Rockwell Scientific

· SRI

· UIC

Optoelectronics Materials Research and Education

Jamie D. Phillips