This program seeks to develop advanced antimonide-based infrared alloys and superlattices for use in infrared imaging systems with mid, long, and very long-wavelength cutoffs. Challenges include optimizing device bandstructure to achieve high quantum efficiency and low dark current, developing device architecture and fabrication techniques to minimize surface leakage, identifying and understanding causes of reduced minority lifetime in infrared materials, and improving material growth and process control for lowering cost and enhancing manufacturability. Research opportunities include (1) design and simulation of infrared alloys, superlattices, and full device structures; (2) growth of a wide range of materials and device structures, typically with significant strain, by molecular beam epitaxy; (3) structural characterization of infrared materials to determine as-grown layer structure, composition, interfaces, dislocations; (4) electronic characterization to determine, carrier density, mobility, minority carrier lifetime, trap levels; (5) dry-etch, atomic layer deposition and other techniques of advanced device fabrication to realize small pixel architectures with high uniformity and low surface damage; and (6) design, simulation, and fabrication of plasmonic structures for coupling infrared radiation to increase sensor quantum efficiency and functionality such as tunable spectral or polarization selectivity.

 

key words

Type-II superlattices; Antimonide superlattices; Focal plane arrays; Infrared photodetectors; Plasmonics; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Molecular beam epitaxy; Time resolved spectroscopy; Minority carrier lifetime; Deep level transient spectroscopy; Device fabrication; Device simulation;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants