NOISE PERFORMANCE OF BOUND-TO-MINIBAND TRANSITION III-V QUANTUM-WELL INFRARED PHOTODETECTORS

Dark current noise measurements between 10 and 105 Hz were carried out at T=77 K on three different types of III-V quantum-well infrared photodetectors designed for 8-12 μm IR detection. These devices have superlattice barriers leading to miniband transport in the extended conduction band. For frequencies between 102 and 104 Hz, noise plateau levels stemming from the trapping and detrapping of electrons in the quantum-well bound states are observed. From the measured noise data the low-bias electron diffusion length, the bias-dependent noise gain, the electron trapping probability, and the thermal electron generation rate are calculated. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.