Abstract: In a crystal growth furnace having an array of vertically arranged heaters to provide controlled heating zones within a chamber, and a crucible for holding crystal material, wherein the crystal is grown vertically through the heating zones, the improvement includes a laser mounted outside the chamber which radiates a beam of energy to locally melt precipitates and inclusions. The furnace includes a mechanism to position the laser vertically to, at or near the interface between the formed crystal and crystal melt material above the formed crystal. The crystal material can be CdZnTe.

Abstract: A multiband IR adjunct (MIRA) sensor to spectroscopically determine the content and the concentration of chemical composition of a targeted object, includes a sensor housing, a first front optics in a first optical channel, a second front optics in the first optical channel, an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), a photo detector (PD), a set of back optics in the first optical channel that focuses polarized narrow-band light beams received from the AOTF device onto the PD, the PD converting the polarized narrow-band light beams into an electrical signal, and a data acquisition unit signal-connected to the PD, the data acquisition unit collecting the electrical signals. Multiple optical channels can be provided within the housing to analyze UV/VIS/near infrared (NIR), short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR), and LWIR wavelength ranges respectively.

Abstract: A method of hybridizing an FPA having an IR component and a ROIC component and interconnects between the two components, includes the steps of: providing an IR detector array and a Si ROIC; depositing a dielectric layer on both the IR detector array and on the Si ROIC; patterning the dielectric on both components to create openings to expose contact areas on each of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC; depositing indium to fill the openings on both the IR detector array and the Si ROIC to create indium bumps, the indium bumps electrically connected to the contact areas of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC respectively, exposed on a top surface of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC; activating exposed dielectric layers on the IR detector array and the Si ROIC in a plasma; and closely contacting the indium bumps of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC by bonding together the exposed dielectric surfaces of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC.

Abstract: An FPA includes a substrate; a plurality of spaced-apart implant regions deposited in the substrate; a plurality of supplemental metal contacts, one supplemental metal contact of the plurality of supplemental metal contacts electrically connected to one implant region of the plurality of implant regions; a plurality of metal conductors electrically connecting the plurality of supplemental metal contacts; and a primary metal contact, electrically connected to the plurality of supplemental metal contacts by at least one of the metal conductors of the plurality of metal conductors. The pixel can include an Indium bump electrically connected to the primary metal contact.

Abstract: In a crystal growth furnace having an array of vertically arranged heaters to provide controlled heating zones within a chamber, and a crucible for holding crystal material, wherein the crystal is grown vertically through the heating zones, the improvement includes a laser mounted outside the chamber which radiates a beam of energy to locally melt precipitates and inclusions. The furnace includes a mechanism to position the laser vertically to, at or near the interface between the formed crystal and crystal melt material above the formed crystal. The crystal material can be CdZnTe.

Abstract: A multiband IR adjunct (MIRA) sensor to spectroscopically determine the content and the concentration of chemical composition of a targeted object, includes a sensor housing, a first front optics in a first optical channel, a second front optics in the first optical channel, an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), a photo detector (PD), a set of back optics in the first optical channel that focuses polarized narrow-band light beams received from the AOTF device onto the PD, the PD converting the polarized narrow-band light beams into an electrical signal, and a data acquisition unit signal-connected to the PD, the data acquisition unit collecting the electrical signals. Multiple optical channels can be provided within the housing to analyze UV/VIS/near infrared (NIR), short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR), and LWIR wavelength ranges respectively.

Abstract: A Terahertz Source and Detector device is provided that includes a nanostructured metasurface configured to transmit fully into a layer of absorbing material below the metasurface to achieve transparent conductivity in the visible spectrum region, wherein the metasurface is composed of crystalline material with very high mobility. The crystalline material can be composed of HgCdTe. The HgCdTe material can have a bandgap of about 700 meV. The intrinsic carrier concentration can be 1012 cm?3 at 300K.

Abstract: A method of hybridizing an FPA having an IR component and a ROIC component and interconnects between the two components, includes the steps of: providing an IR detector array and a Si ROIC; depositing a dielectric layer on both the IR detector array and on the Si ROIC; patterning the dielectric on both components to create openings to expose contact areas on each of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC; depositing indium to fill the openings on both the IR detector array and the Si ROIC to create indium bumps, the indium bumps electrically connected to the contact areas of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC respectively, exposed on a top surface of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC; activating exposed dielectric layers on the IR detector array and the Si ROIC in a plasma; and closely contacting the indium bumps of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC by bonding together the exposed dielectric surfaces of the IR detector array and the Si ROIC.

Abstract: A multiband IR adjunct (MIRA) sensor to spectroscopically determine the content and the concentration of chemical composition of a targeted object, includes a sensor housing, a first front optics in a first optical channel, a second front optics in the first optical channel, an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), a photo detector (PD), a set of back optics in the first optical channel that focuses polarized narrow-band light beams received from the AOTF device onto the PD, the PD converting the polarized narrow-band light beams into an electrical signal, and a data acquisition unit signal-connected to the PD, the data acquisition unit collecting the electrical signals. Multiple optical channels can be provided within the housing to analyze UV/VIS/near infrared (NIR), short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR), and LWIR wavelength ranges respectively.

Abstract: A method of forming a diode comprises the steps of forming an extraction region of a first conductivity type, forming an active region of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type, and forming an exclusion region of the second conductivity type to be adjacent the active region. The active region is formed to be adjacent to the extraction region and along a reverse bias path of the extraction region and the exclusion region does not resupply minority carriers while removing majority carriers. At least one of the steps of forming the exclusion region and forming the extraction region includes the additional step of forming a barrier that substantially reduces the flow of the carriers that flow toward the active region, but does not rely on a diffusion length of the carriers to block the carriers.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. An extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and extracts minority carriers from the active region. It also has majority carriers within the extraction region flowing toward the active region in a condition of reverse bias. An exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has minority carriers within the exclusion region flowing toward the active region. It receives majority carriers from the active region. At least one of the extraction and exclusion region provides a barrier for substantially reducing flow of one of the majority carriers or the minority carriers, whichever is flowing toward the active region, while permitting flow of the other minority carriers or majority carriers flowing out of the active region.

Abstract: A detector of incident infrared radiation has a first region with a first spectral response, and a second region with a second, different spectral response. The second absorption region is stacked on the first and may be separated therefrom by a region in which the chemical composition of the compound semiconductor is graded. Separate contacts are provided to the first and second absorption regions and a further common contact is provided so as to permit the application of either a bias voltage or a skimming voltage across the respective pn junctions. The detector may be operated such that a preselected one of the absorption regions responds to incident infrared radiation of a predetermined waveband while the other absorption region acts as a skimmer of dark current, thereby enhancing the signal to noise ratio of the detector.

Abstract: A method of forming a diode comprises the steps of forming an extraction region of a first conductivity type, forming an active region of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type, and forming an exclusion region of the second conductivity type to be adjacent the active region. The active region is formed to be adjacent to the extraction region and along a reverse bias path of the extraction region and the exclusion region does not resupply minority carriers while removing majority carriers. At least one of the steps of forming the exclusion region and forming the extraction region includes the additional step of forming a barrier that substantially reduces the flow of the carriers that flow toward the active region, but does not rely on a diffusion length of the carriers to block the carriers.

Abstract: A detector of incident infrared radiation has a first region with a first spectral response, and a second region with a second, different spectral response. The second absorption region is stacked on the first and may be separated therefrom by a region in which the chemical composition of the compound semiconductor is graded. Separate contacts are provided to the first and second absorption regions and a further common contact is provided so as to permit the application of either a bias voltage or a skimming voltage across the respective pn junctions. The detector may be operated such that a preselected one of the absorption regions responds to incident infrared radiation of a predetermined waveband while the other absorption region acts as a skimmer of dark current, thereby enhancing the signal to noise ratio of the detector.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. An extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and extracts minority carriers from the active region. It also has majority carriers within the extraction region flowing toward the active region in a condition of reverse bias. An exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has minority carriers within the exclusion region flowing toward the active region. It receives majority carriers from the active region. At least one of the extraction and exclusion region provides a barrier for substantially reducing flow of one of the majority carriers or the minority carriers, whichever is flowing toward the active region, while permitting flow of the other minority carriers or majority carriers flowing out of the active region.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has superlattice exclusion region formed from a stack of first and second layers. The first layers are penetrated by minority carriers using quantum mechanical tunneling and reduce minority carrier mobility. The second layers have a sufficiently low bandgap that the tunneling minority carriers can reach an active region of the diode. The process of successively forming first and second layers is repeated until the exclusion region is at least three times the minority carrier diffusion length.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. At least one extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the second conductivity type. Carriers of the second conductivity type are extracted from the active region and into the extraction region under a condition of reverse bias. At least one exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the first conductivity type. The exclusion region prevents entry of its minority carriers, which are of the second conductivity type, into the active region while in a condition of reverse bias. The exclusion region includes a superlattice with a plurality of layers.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has superlattice exclusion region formed from a stack of first and second layers. The first layers are penetrated by minority carriers using quantum mechanical tunneling and reduce minority carrier mobility. The second layers have a sufficiently low bandgap that the tunneling minority carriers can reach an active region of the diode. The process of successively forming first and second layers is repeated until the exclusion region is at least three times the minority carrier diffusion length.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. At least one extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the second conductivity type. Carriers of the second conductivity type are extracted from the active region and into the extraction region under a condition of reverse bias. At least one exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the first conductivity type. The exclusion region prevents entry of its minority carriers, which are of the second conductivity type, into the active region while in a condition of reverse bias. The exclusion region includes a superlattice with a plurality of layers.