Type-II superlattice eSWIR detectors at IRnova

The Type II superlattice (T2SL) technology is an industrial solution for manufacturing of infrared (IR) imaging sensors that cover the entire IR range, including the vital eSWIR band. These stable III/V materials are uniformly grown on large GaSb wafers (up to 6") and have demonstrated excellent manufacturing yield with maintained high performance and space environment robustness. These unique properties make T2SL the most suitable technology to design and manufacture large area eSWIR FPAs which can meet the stringent requirements of future European civilian and military space programs. In this paper, the performance of IRnova’s VGA format (640 x 512 pixels, 15 μm pitch) eSWIR T2SL detectors designed for industrial applications will be presented along with the development route towards large footprint (2048 x 512 pixels, 15 μm pitch) HD eSWIR FPAs with CTIA ROICs targeting space applications within the EU-funded STEP project (Silicon and T2SL EuroPean collaboration for a non-dependent supply chain for large eSWIR FPAs). From initial results, a cut-off wavelength of 2.5 μm, quantum efficiency > 80% and a dark current density lower than 0.1μA/cm2 @ 200 K have been demonstrated.