Modified vapor phase deposition technology for high-performance uncooled MIR PbSe detectors

The low performance of middle infrared (MIR) PbSe detectors fabricated from vapor phase deposition (VPD) technology restricts the rapid development of VPD technology and detector commercialization. A modified VPD process was proposed to duplicate the microstructural features of high-performance CBD-PbSe detectors for a breakthrough in the VPD technology. A peak detectivity D* of 1.6 × 1010 cm Hz1/2 W-1 at 298 K was achieved under the optimized sensitization, approaching the best performance of CBD-PbSe detectors. Through the contrasting various microstructures obtained from diverse methods, the nanoparticle self-assembly structure in VPD-PbSe oriented rod-like crystals is an important factor for the IR sensitivity. The microstructural evolution demonstrated that there is a large space to grow for VPD-PbSe detectivity D* via eliminating the voids formed in the iodine-sensitization process. The increased performance indicates that the modified VPD technology can provide technical support for the manufacturing of the megapixel uncooled lead-salt FPA imager and accelerate its industrialization.