Joint FDTD-Optical/FEM-Electrical Numerical Simulation of Reflection-Type Subwavelength-Microstructure InSb Infrared Focal-Plane Arrays

The design of a reflection-type subwavelength microstructure has been numerically investigated to concentrate incident light onto pixels for improved photoresponse of InSb infrared focal-plane arrays. Compared with traditional microlenses placed on top of the detector substrate, this reflection-type microstructure is better suited for extremely small pixel pitches. The structure is simulated using a joint numerical method combining the finite-difference time-domain method based on Maxwell’s curl equations and the finite-element method based on the Poisson and continuity equations. The results show that this advanced design could effectively improve device response without sacrificing crosstalk. The optimal structure parameters are obtained theoretically, with response increase of approximately 100%.