Infrared material requirements for the next generation of systems

Abstract

High-quality semiconductor material is a prerequisite to the production of high-performance, affordable semiconductor components. With infrared (IR) components, the material quality has an even greater significance, affecting not only the device characteristics, but also the system performance and cost. The quality of the infrared material is a major factor in the system design trade-offs. Sensitivity, spectral band, noise spectrum, spatial uniformity, input power and reliability are system parameters with a direct relationship to the infrared material. Each of these system requirements has an immediate impact on the material specifications, which then define the appropriate growth technique, wafer size, requirements for on-chip signal processing and relevant material figures-of-merit. To be successful in IR material development, a concurrent engineering approach is necessary, taking into account both the material limitations and the demands of the infrared imaging system for the proposed application. In addition to the material's performance figures-of-merit, the impact of the material on device fabrication and system cost must be taken into account.