We report on the photoresponse of mid-wavelength infrared radiation (MWIR) type-II superlattices (T2SLs) InAs/InAsSb high operating temperature (HOT) photoresistor grown on GaAs substrate. The device consists of a 200 periods of active layer grown on GaSb buffer layer. The photoresistor reached a 50% cut-off wavelength of 5 µm and 6 µm at 200 K and 300 K respectively. The time constant of 30 ns is observed at 200 K under 1 V bias. This is the first observation of the photoresponse in MWIR T2SLs InAs/InAsSb above 200 K.

The paper reports on the barrier mid-wave infrared InAs/InAsSb (x_Sb = 0.4) type-II superlattice detector operating below thermoelectrical cooling. AlAsSb with Sb composition, x_Sb = 0.97; barrier doping, N_D < 2×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ leading to valence band offset below 100 meV in relation to the active layer doping, N_D = 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ was proved to be proper material not introducing extra barrier in valence band in the analyzed temperature range in XBn architectures. The detectivity of the simulated structure was assessed at the level of ∼ 10¹¹ Jones at T ∼ 100 K assuming absorber thickness, d = 3 μm. The detector’s architecture for high frequency response operation, τ_s = 420 ps (T ∼ 77 K) was presented with a reduced active layer of d = 1 μm.

The utmost limit performance of interband cascade detectors optimized for the longwave range of infrared radiation is investigated in this work. Currently, materials from the III–V group are characterized by short carrier lifetimes limited by Shockley-Read-Hall generation and recombination processes. The maximum carrier lifetime values reported at 77 K for the type-II superlattices InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb in a longwave range correspond to ∼200 and ∼400 ns. We estimated theoretical detectivity of interband cascade detectors assuming above carrier lifetimes and a value of ∼1–50 μs reported for a well-known HgCdTe material. It has been shown that for room temperature the limit value of detctivity is of ∼3–4×10¹⁰ cmHz^1/2/W for the optimized detector operating at the wavelength range ∼10 μm could be reached.

Ga-free InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice structures grown on GaSb substrates have demonstrated high performance for mid-wave infrared applications. However, realisation of long wavelength infrared photodetectors based on this material system still presents challenges, especially in terms of reduced quantum efficiency. This reduction is due, in part, to the increased type-II superlattice period required to attain longer wavelengths, as thicker periods decrease the wave-function overlap for the spatially separated quantum wells. One way to improve long wavelength infrared performance is to modify the type-II superlattice designs with a shorter superlattice period for a given wavelength, thereby increasing the wave-function overlap and the resulting optical absorption. Long wavelength infrared epitaxial structures with reduced periods have been realised by shifting the lattice constant of the type-II superlattice from GaSb to AlSb. Alternatively, epitaxial growth on substrates with orientations different than the traditional (100) surface presents another way for superlattice period reduction. In this work, the authors evaluate the performance of long wavelength infrared type-II superlattice detectors grown by molecular beam epitaxy using two different approaches to reduce the superlattice period: first, a metamorphic buffer to target the AlSb lattice parameter, and second, structures lattices matched to GaSb using substrates with different orientations. The use of the metamorphic buffer enabled a ~30% reduction in the superlattice period compared to reference baseline structures, maintaining a high quantum efficiency, but with the elevated dark current related to defects generated in the metamorphic buffer. Red-shift in a cut-off wavelength obtained from growths on high-index substrates offers a potential path to improve the infrared photodetector characteristics. Focal plane arrays were fabricated on (100), (311)A- and (211)B-oriented structures to compare the performance of each approach.

Mid-wavelength infrared detectors and focal plane array based on n-type InAs/InAsSb type-II strained layer superlattice absorbers have achieved excellent performance. In the long and very long wavelength infrared, however, n-type InAs/InAsSb type-II strained layer superlattice detectors are limited by their relatively small absorption coefficients and short growth-direction hole diffusion lengths, and consequently have only been able to achieve modest level of quantum efficiency. The authors present an overview of their progress in exploring complementary barrier infrared detectors that contain p-type InAs/InAsSb type-II strained layer superlattice absorbers for quantum efficiency enhancement. The authors describe some representative results, and also provide additional references for more in-depth discussions. Results on InAs/InAsSb type-II strained layer superlattice focal plane arrays for potential NASA applications are also briefly discussed.