Performance of very long wavelength planar P+/n devices

This paper presents performance of very long wavelength infrared HgCdTe detectors operating at 60K for space surveillance and earth observation applications. Fabricated detector arrays were hybridized to Teledyne's GeoSnap- 18 1024 x 512 read-out integrated circuit of 18-micron x 18-micron pixel format. This is a capacitive transimpedance amplifier pixel design with high linearity. Detector focal plane arrays are made of Teledyne's high quality molecular beam epitaxy grown HgCdTe infrared detector materials with detector cut-offs near 13.5 microns at 60K. Key detector performance parameters of high operability with low dark currents, high quantum efficiency was demonstrated. One of the FPA was baked at 70oC under vacuum environment for 42 days; pre- and post-bake performance was compared. Dark current operability increased from 94% to 97% for pixels having dark currents ≤ 1.08E9 e-/s/pxl and noise operability also increased from 91% to 94% for pixels having total dark noise ≤ 815 e-/pxl. Obtained minimum dark current is on the order of 3E7 e-/s/pxl, which is a factor of four lower than the RULE07 for 13.24 microns cut off at 60K.