Growth and characterization of II-VI semiconductor multilayer quantum-well structures for two-color quantum well infrared photodetector applications

The design, growth, and characterizations of ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe semiconductor multilayer quantum-well structures for two-color quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are reported. The energy band and quantum well states are computed in a ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe single quantum well for both infrared detection regions. The sample has been grown in a multichamber molecular beam epitaxy system. The good crystalline quality of sample and its lattice matching to the InP substrate are investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis. These structural measurements also confirm the good agreement between the design and the grown structure. The band-to-band and interband transition energies are experimentally determined by photoluminescence and contactless electroreflectance, respectively. The intersubband absorption spectra are investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at room temperature. This multilayer structure represents a significant technological validation of the capabilities and potential of InP-based II-VI materials for engineering two-color QWIP devices. This paper provides a detailed methodology for the growth and in-depth characterization of such a complex high precision multilayered structure.