Room-temperature InAs0.89Sb0.11 photodetectors for CO detection at 4.6 μm

An InAs0.89Sb0.11 photovoltaic detector that operates at room temperature in the 2.5-5 mu m mid-infrared wavelength region is reported. The photodiode has an extended spectral response compared with other currently available III-V room-temperature detectors. In order to accommodate the large lattice mismatch between the InAs0.89Sb0.11 active region and the InAs substrate, a buffer layer with an intermediate composition was introduced into the structure. In this way, we obtained room-temperature photodiodes with a cutoff wavelength near 5 mu m, a peak responsivity of 0.8 A/W, and a detectivity of 1.26 x 10(9) cm Hz(1/2)/W. These devices could be effectively used as the basis of an optical sensor for the environmental monitoring of carbon monoxide at 4.6 mu m, or as a replacement for PbSe photoconductors. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02332-9].