Arsenic activation in molecular beam epitaxy grown, in situ doped HgCdTe(211)

Photovoltaic p - n junctions are the most significant active components of both current infrared photodetectors and advanced ones being developed. It is of the utmost importance to control both p - and n -type extrinsic doping. This letter addresses the issue of activating arsenic as a p -type dopant of Hg 1 − x Cd x Te at temperatures sufficiently low that the integrity of p - n junctions and the intrinsic advantages of molecular beam epitaxy as a growth technique will not be compromised. The p -type activation of arsenic in (211)B Hg 1 − x Cd x Te is reported after a two-stage anneal at temperatures below 300°C for Cd compositions suitable for the sensing of long wavelength infrared radiation.