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Broadband high quantum efficiency InGaAs/InP focal plane arrays via high precision plasma thinning
Optics Letters
|July 7, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a new visible-extended InGaAs/InP focal plane array (FPA) using plasma etching. This advanced imager achieves over 60% quantum efficiency and lower reflectance for enhanced visible/near-infrared imaging.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
- Semiconductor Device Fabrication
Background:
- Conventional visible-extended InGaAs focal plane arrays (FPAs) face limitations in quantum efficiency within the visible spectrum.
- Improving the performance of InGaAs FPAs for broader spectral response is crucial for advanced imaging applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a 160x120 visible-extended InGaAs/InP focal plane array (FPA) with enhanced quantum efficiency and reduced reflectance.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of inductively coupled plasma etching for advanced Vis/NIR InGaAs imager fabrication.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 160x120 InGaAs/InP focal plane array (FPA) utilizing inductively coupled plasma etching.
- High-precision thinning of the n-type InP contact layer to 10 nm.
- Surface texturing achieved through plasma etching.
Main Results:
- Achieved quantum efficiencies exceeding 60% across a wide wavelength range (500-1700 nm).
- Reduced reflectance by 17% over the entire response spectrum due to surface texturing.
- Demonstrated enhanced visible/near-infrared laboratory imaging capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The developed fabrication process significantly improves quantum efficiency and reduces reflectance in Vis-extended InGaAs FPAs.
- The results confirm the potential for creating higher-definition Vis/NIR InGaAs imagers using these techniques.
- This advancement is vital for next-generation optical sensing and imaging systems.
