(640\times 512\) Extended Short Wavelength Infrared In sub(0.83)Ga sub(0.17)As Focal Plane Array

We present the detailed characteristics of solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown large format ( \(640\times 512\) ) extended short wavelength infrared In sub(0.83)Ga sub(0.17)As sensor with desirable performance at both pixel and focal plane array (FPA) levels. The FPA pixels in the mesa structure grown on a graded AlInAs buffer layer with 2.65- \(\mu \) m, 300-K cutoff wavelength exhibited 300- and 200-K peak detectivities as high as \(\sim \!\! 2.5\times 1010 }\) and \(\sim \!\!1\times 1012}\) cmHz \(1/2}\) /W, which are both equivalent to the theoretical limits set by the Johnson noise of the detector. Dark current analysis of the pixels displayed no considerable tunneling component with the dark current being dominated by generation-recombination and shunt leakage mechanisms >200 K up to a reverse bias voltage of 3 V. Moreover, the noise measurements displayed no 1/ \(f\) noise in the FPA pixels. In spite of the large lattice mismatch, the FPA yielded very good response linearity, as well as impressively good responsivity nonuniformity and pixel operability of 5.5% and 99.8%, respectively. The results showing the feasibility of both solid source MBE and graded AlInAs buffer for the growth of extended InGaAs photodetectors are very encouraging for the large format FPA implementation of these detectors with desirable imaging performance and an extended cutoff wavelength as high as \(\sim 2.7\) \(\mu \) m.