Interband-cascade infrared photodetectors with superlattice absorbers

Interband-cascade infrared photodetectors (ICIPs), composed of discrete superlattice absorbers, are demonstrated at temperatures up to 350 K with a cutoff wavelength near 5 μm at 80 K to beyond 7 μm above room temperature. The peak responsivity exceeds 200 mA/W, higher than the values reported from early interband cascade laser structures, suggesting a significantly enhanced quantum efficiency of the superlattice absorbers. A theoretical model, originally developed for quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), is applied to ICIPs to analyze their device performance. The Johnson-limited and background-limited detectivities are extracted and indicate that background-limited performance temperatures for two ICIP structures are 126 and 105 K at 5 μm. It is expected that optimized ICIPs will provide improved performance by combining the advantages of conventional photodiodes and the discrete nature of QWIPs and IC lasers.