Progress of MCT Detector Technology at AIM Towards Smaller Pitch and Lower Dark Current

We present our latest results on cooled p-on-n planar mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) photodiode technology. Along with a reduction in dark current for raising the operating temperature (T (op)), AIM INFRAROT-MODULE GmbH (AIM) has devoted its development efforts to shrinking the pixel size. Both are essential requirements to meet the market demands for reduced size, weight and power and high-operating temperature applications. Detectors based on the p-on-n technology developed at AIM now span the spectrum from the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) to the very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) with cut-off wavelengths from 5 mu m to about 13.5 mu m at 80 K. The development of the p-on-n technology for VLWIR as well as for MWIR is mainly implemented in a planar photodetector design with a 20-mu m pixel pitch. For the VLWIR, dark currents significantly reduced as compared to 'Tennant's Rule 07' are demonstrated for operating temperatures between 30 K and 100 K. This allows for the same dark current performance at a 20 K higher operating temperature than with previous AIM technology. For MWIR detectors with a 20-mu m pitch, noise equivalent temperature differences of less than 30 mK are obtained up to 170 K. This technology has been transferred to our small pixel pitch high resolution (XGA) MWIR detector with 1024 x 768 pixels at a 10-mu m pitch. Excellent performance at an operating temperature of 160 K is demonstrated.