Toward third generation HgCdTe infrared detectors Part II
A. Rogalski
Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
Hitherto, two families of multielement HgCdTe detectors are used for principal military and civilian infrared applications; one is used for scanning systems (first generation) and the other is used for staring systems (second generation). In the common understanding, third generation IR systems provide enhanced capabilities like larger number of pixels, higher frame rates, better thermal resolution as well as multicolour functionality and other on-chip functions. In the paper, issues associated with the development and exploitation of third generation HgCdTe detectors are discussed. The main challenges facing multicolour devices concern complicated device structures, thicker and multilayer material growth, more difficult device fabrication, especially when the array size gets larger and pixel size gets smaller. Also technical developments, which are key to third generation devices such as dry etching, vapour phase epitaxy, and advanced readout concepts are described.
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