Radiation-defect mitigation in InAs/GaSb strained-layer superlattice infrared detectors and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11054312-B2
Application number	US-201916260861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2019
Priority date	Jan 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

An IR sensor device may include an IR image sensor having an array of IR sensing pixels, and a readout circuit coupled to the IR image sensor and configured to sense sequential images. The IR sensor device may include a controller coupled to the readout circuit and configured to cause the readout circuit to apply a voltage to the IR image sensor between sensing of the sequential images.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An infrared (IR) sensor device comprising:
an IR image sensor comprising an array of IR sensing pixels;
a readout circuit coupled to said IR image sensor and configured to sense a plurality of sequential images; and
a controller coupled to said readout circuit and configured to cause said readout circuit to apply a plurality of voltage pulses to said IR image sensor between sensing of the plurality of sequential images to mitigate radiation damage to said IR image sensor.

2. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein each voltage pulse comprises a forward bias voltage pulse.

3. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to cause said readout circuit to apply the plurality of voltage pulses periodically between sensing of the plurality of sequential images.

4. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said IR image sensor comprises an anti-reflective layer, a window layer below said anti-reflective layer, and an absorber layer below said window layer.

5. The IR sensor device of claim 4 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of voltage pulses to forward bias injection of minority carriers into said absorber layer.

6. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of voltage pulses to generate a current density less than 1 mA/cm 2 .

7. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of voltage pulses with a voltage value less than 0.75 Volts.

8. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said IR image sensor comprises at least one of a long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, and a short wave infrared (SWIR) sensor.

9. The IR sensor device of claim 1 wherein said IR image sensor comprises a Strained-Layer-Superlattice (SLS) made from InAs, GaSb, or other III-V semiconductor compounds, and their combinations.

10. An infrared (IR) sensor device comprising:
an IR Strained-Layer-Superlattice (SLS) image sensor image sensor comprising an array of IR sensing pixels;
a readout circuit coupled to said IR SLS image sensor and configured to sense a plurality of sequential images; and
a controller coupled to said readout circuit and configured to cause said readout circuit to apply a plurality of forward bias voltage pulses to said IR SLS image sensor periodically between sensing of the plurality of sequential images to mitigate radiation damage to said IR image sensor.

11. The IR sensor device of claim 10 wherein said IR SLS image sensor comprises an anti-reflective layer, a window layer below said anti-reflective layer, and an absorber layer below said window layer.

12. The IR sensor device of claim 11 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of forward bias voltage pulses to forward bias injection of minority carriers into said absorber layer.

13. The IR sensor device of claim 10 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of forward bias voltage pulses to generate a current density less than 1 mA/cm 2 .

14. The IR sensor device of claim 10 wherein said readout circuit is configured to apply the plurality of forward bias voltage pulses with a voltage value less than 0.75 Volts.

15. The IR sensor device of claim 10 wherein said IR SLS image sensor comprises at least one of a long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor, a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, and a short wave infrared (SWIR) sensor.

16. The IR sensor device of claim 10 wherein a SLS of said IR SLS image sensor is made from InAs, GaSb, or other III-V semiconductor compounds, and their combinations.

17. A method for making an infrared (IR) sensor device, the IR sensor device to mitigate radiation damage, the method comprising:
forming an IR image sensor comprising an array of IR sensing pixels;
coupling a readout circuit to the IR image sensor and configured to sense a plurality of sequential images; and
coupling a controller to the readout circuit, the controller configured to cause the readout circuit to apply a plurality of voltage pulses to the IR image sensor between sensing of the plurality of sequential images to mitigate radiation damage to the IR image sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each voltage pulse comprises a forward bias voltage pulse.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to cause the readout circuit to apply the plurality of voltage pulses periodically between sensing of the plurality of sequential images.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the IR image sensor comprises a Strained-Layer-Superlattice (SLS) made from InAs, GaSb, or other III-V semiconductor compounds, and their combinations.

Assignees

• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Chernyak Leonid
• Peale Robert E
• Fredricksen Christopher J
• Lee Jonathan

Classifications

• H10F77/953 Primary

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F77/146

  Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures · CPC title

• H10F77/124

  comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs · CPC title

• H10F71/127

  The active layers comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs or InP · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title