Performance Improvement of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors Through Dark Current Reduction Factor

Abstract

A device model for quantum well-infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) is studied. The developed model accounts for the self-consistent potential distribution. An analytical model for the calculation of dark current reduction factor (DCRF) and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is presented using the Matlab environment. The aim is to reduce the dark current and improve the SNR by adjusting the device parameters such as spacing between the wells, bias voltage, and the operating temperature of these detectors. This model takes into account the donor concentration in the barriers and the concentration of electrons above the barriers that have little attention in the literature. In these devices, decreasing the amount of DCRF and increasing the SNR represents the main goal for the device improvements. From the proposed model, we concluded that the contact layer and space-charge slightly affect the dark current in QWIP with a large number of quantum wells (QWs). These effects are significant in the case of a moderate number of QWs.

KEYWORDS:

• Quantum well
• Infrared photodetector
• Thermionic emission
• Space charge

Acknowledgements

SPP acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, project no. FSRZ-2020-0008.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohamed S. El_Tokhy

Mohamed S El_Tokhy received PhD in electronics and communication from Al-Azhar University, Egypt. He is currently an associate professor in Engineering and Scientific Instruments Department, NRC, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt. He participates in several IAEA activities. He is a co-author of many papers in international conference proceedings and journals. His current research areas of interest are in the fields of electronics, digital signal and image processing, communication systems, and nuclear applications in medical and industry. Email: [email protected].

Elsayed H. Ali

Elsayed H Ali is currently working as an assistant professor in Engineering and Scientific Instruments Department, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority. He participated in several IAEA activities in several in the field of nuclear science and its applications. His research interests include modeling and control of dynamic systems, artificially intelligent systems, nuclear instrumentations, and radioisotope applications in the industry. He received a PhD in artificial intelligence and control engineering in 2014 from the faculty of electronic engineering, Menofia University. He received BSc and MSc in electronic and control engineering from Menofia University.

Sergey P. Polyutov

Sergey P Polyutov is currently a research director at the International Research Center of Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemistry (IRC SQC) at Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. He received his PhD degree in 2007 in biotechnology (main in Optics and Spectroscopy) from the Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) under guidance of Prof of Faris Gel'mukhanov and Prof Hans Agren. He has research interests in the fields of quantum chemistry, nanoplasmonics, nanophotonics, and optical sensing, as well as in X-ray science. Email: [email protected].