Wideband infrared trap detector based upon doped silicon photocurrent devices

Published

April 9, 2018

Author(s)

Solomon I. Woods, James E. Proctor, Timothy M. Jung, Adriaan C. Carter, Dana R. Defibaugh, Jorge Neira

Abstract

We have designed, fabricated and measured infrared trapping detectors made from arsenic-doped silicon (Si:As) blocked impurity band (BIB) photodetectors. These trap detectors are composed of two detectors in a wedge geometry, with an entrance aperture diameter of 1 mm or 3 mm. The detectors were calibrated for quantum efficiency against a pyroelectric reference detector using a Fourier transform spectral comparator system, and etalon effects and spatial uniformity of the traps were also quantified. Results on the traps show that nearly ideal external quantum efficiency (> 90 %) can be attained over much of the range from 4 um to 24 um, with significant responsivity from 2 um to 30 um. The traps exhibited maximum etalon oscillations of only 2 %, about 10 times smaller amplitude than those of the single Si:As BIB detectors measured under similar conditions. Spatial non-uniformity across the entrance apertures of the traps was around 1 %. The combination of high detectivity, wideband wavelength coverage, spectral flatness, and spatial uniformity make these trap detectors an excellent reference detector for spectrally-resolved measurements and radiometric calibrations from the near- to longwave-infrared.

Citation

Applied Optics

Volume

57

Issue

18

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.000D82

Local Download

Keywords

BIB detector, trap detector, infrared detector, blocked impurity band detector, external quantum efficiency, longwave infrared, far infrared

Citation

Woods, S. , Proctor, J. , Jung, T. , Carter, A. , Defibaugh, D. and Neira, J. (2018), Wideband infrared trap detector based upon doped silicon photocurrent devices, Applied Optics, [online], https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.000D82 (Accessed October 17, 2025)