Abstract: The manufacture of an infra-red radiation detector element (51). A body of infra-red sensitive material (e.g. cadmium mercury telluride) secured to a substrate (22) is subjected to ion-etching to remove part of the material over the whole thickness of the element (51) at areas (56) between the contact areas of the element electrodes (35 and 36b) so as to define a current path between these electrodes (35 and 36b) which extends through the remaining material and is longer than the distance along a straight line between the electrodes (35 and 36b). This longer current path increases the charge-carrier transit time and resistance between the electrodes (35 and 36b) so that the responsivity of the detector element (51) can be improved while still producing a compact element structure because of the advantages of defining the current path by ion-etching.

Abstract: In the manufacture of an infra-red detector device, at least a portion of a surface of a body of mercury cadmium telluride is subjected to a conversion treatment to produce a surface layer, after which a heating step is performed. The present invention involves a simple and reproducible process for forming in the body a p-n junction of sufficiently good quality for such a detector which can be of a planar form so as to facilitate the formation of the detector element arrays in the body and the provision of contacts to the detector elements.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an infra-red detector in which a printed form of lead-out contact pattern is applied to the surface of each infra-red sensitive element. A detector element of infra-red sensitive material is provided having at one major side at least one active surface area defined between spaced contact layers which extend over oppositely located curved edges of the element at said side. The element is adhered via the opposite major side to an insulating substrate having a contact pattern provided thereon. Electrically conductive material is deposited to forming interconnections between the contact layers on the element and adjacently situated end portions of lead-out conductors of the contact pattern.