InGaAs based heterojunction phototransistors: Viable solution for high-speed and low-noise short wave infrared imaging

Mohsen Rezaei; Min Su Park; Cobi Rabinowitz; Chee Leong Tan; Skylar Wheaton; Melville Ulmer; Hooman Mohseni

doi:10.1063/1.5091052

InGaAs based heterojunction phototransistors: Viable solution for high-speed and low-noise short wave infrared imaging

Mohsen Rezaei, Min Su Park, Cobi Rabinowitz, Chee Leong Tan, Skylar Wheaton, Melville Ulmer, Hooman Mohseni^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Highly sensitive and fast imaging at short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) is one of the key enabling technologies for the direct-imaging of habitable exoplanets. SWIR imaging systems currently available in the market are dominated by imagers based on InGaAs PIN photodiodes. The sensitivity of these cameras is limited by their read-out noise (RON) level. Sensors with internal gain can suppress the RON and achieve lower noise imaging. In this paper, we demonstrate a SWIR camera based on 3D-engineered InP/InGaAs heterojunction phototransistors with responsivities around 2000 A/W which provides a shot-noise limited imaging sensitivity at a very low light level. We present the details of the semiconductor structure, the microfabrication, and the heterogeneous integration of this camera. The low capacitance pixels of the imager achieve 36 electron effective RON at frame rates around 5 kilo-frames per second at an operating temperature of 220 K and a bias voltage of 1.1 V. This is a significant step toward achieving highly sensitive imaging at SWIR at high frame rates and noncryogenic operating temperatures. Based on the proposed modeling and experimental results, a clear path to reach the RON less than 10 electrons is presented.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	161101
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	114
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5091052
State	Published - Apr 22 2019

Funding

This work was supported by W. M. Keck Foundation under a Research Grant in Science and Engineering and by partial funding from ARO Award No. W911NF-18-1-0429. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Nanoscale Materials of Argonne National Laboratory. The use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, an Office of Science user facility, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This work utilized the Northwestern University Micro/Nano Fabrication Facility (NUFAB), which is partially supported by the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF DMR-1720139), the State of Illinois, and Northwestern University.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1063/1.5091052

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title = "InGaAs based heterojunction phototransistors: Viable solution for high-speed and low-noise short wave infrared imaging",

abstract = "Highly sensitive and fast imaging at short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) is one of the key enabling technologies for the direct-imaging of habitable exoplanets. SWIR imaging systems currently available in the market are dominated by imagers based on InGaAs PIN photodiodes. The sensitivity of these cameras is limited by their read-out noise (RON) level. Sensors with internal gain can suppress the RON and achieve lower noise imaging. In this paper, we demonstrate a SWIR camera based on 3D-engineered InP/InGaAs heterojunction phototransistors with responsivities around 2000 A/W which provides a shot-noise limited imaging sensitivity at a very low light level. We present the details of the semiconductor structure, the microfabrication, and the heterogeneous integration of this camera. The low capacitance pixels of the imager achieve 36 electron effective RON at frame rates around 5 kilo-frames per second at an operating temperature of 220 K and a bias voltage of 1.1 V. This is a significant step toward achieving highly sensitive imaging at SWIR at high frame rates and noncryogenic operating temperatures. Based on the proposed modeling and experimental results, a clear path to reach the RON less than 10 electrons is presented.",

author = "Mohsen Rezaei and Park, {Min Su} and Cobi Rabinowitz and Tan, {Chee Leong} and Skylar Wheaton and Melville Ulmer and Hooman Mohseni",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by W. M. Keck Foundation under a Research Grant in Science and Engineering and by partial funding from ARO Award No. W911NF-18-1-0429. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Nanoscale Materials of Argonne National Laboratory. The use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, an Office of Science user facility, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. This work utilized the Northwestern University Micro/Nano Fabrication Facility (NUFAB), which is partially supported by the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF DMR-1720139), the State of Illinois, and Northwestern University. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Author(s).",

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doi = "10.1063/1.5091052",

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AU - Rezaei, Mohsen

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AU - Tan, Chee Leong

AU - Wheaton, Skylar

AU - Ulmer, Melville

AU - Mohseni, Hooman

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PY - 2019/4/22

Y1 - 2019/4/22

N2 - Highly sensitive and fast imaging at short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) is one of the key enabling technologies for the direct-imaging of habitable exoplanets. SWIR imaging systems currently available in the market are dominated by imagers based on InGaAs PIN photodiodes. The sensitivity of these cameras is limited by their read-out noise (RON) level. Sensors with internal gain can suppress the RON and achieve lower noise imaging. In this paper, we demonstrate a SWIR camera based on 3D-engineered InP/InGaAs heterojunction phototransistors with responsivities around 2000 A/W which provides a shot-noise limited imaging sensitivity at a very low light level. We present the details of the semiconductor structure, the microfabrication, and the heterogeneous integration of this camera. The low capacitance pixels of the imager achieve 36 electron effective RON at frame rates around 5 kilo-frames per second at an operating temperature of 220 K and a bias voltage of 1.1 V. This is a significant step toward achieving highly sensitive imaging at SWIR at high frame rates and noncryogenic operating temperatures. Based on the proposed modeling and experimental results, a clear path to reach the RON less than 10 electrons is presented.

AB - Highly sensitive and fast imaging at short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) is one of the key enabling technologies for the direct-imaging of habitable exoplanets. SWIR imaging systems currently available in the market are dominated by imagers based on InGaAs PIN photodiodes. The sensitivity of these cameras is limited by their read-out noise (RON) level. Sensors with internal gain can suppress the RON and achieve lower noise imaging. In this paper, we demonstrate a SWIR camera based on 3D-engineered InP/InGaAs heterojunction phototransistors with responsivities around 2000 A/W which provides a shot-noise limited imaging sensitivity at a very low light level. We present the details of the semiconductor structure, the microfabrication, and the heterogeneous integration of this camera. The low capacitance pixels of the imager achieve 36 electron effective RON at frame rates around 5 kilo-frames per second at an operating temperature of 220 K and a bias voltage of 1.1 V. This is a significant step toward achieving highly sensitive imaging at SWIR at high frame rates and noncryogenic operating temperatures. Based on the proposed modeling and experimental results, a clear path to reach the RON less than 10 electrons is presented.

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ER -

InGaAs based heterojunction phototransistors: Viable solution for high-speed and low-noise short wave infrared imaging

Abstract

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UN SDGs

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