This paper presents an extended short-wave infrared (eSWIR) image sensor, a large format infrared focal plane array (IRFPA), applied in advanced hyperspectral imager (AHSI) aboard China’s three GaoFen-5 satellites and two more followed ZY-1 satellites. Hyperspectral imaging has been emerged as a very important application in Earth observation instruments, for the spectral detection provides the spectrum information of ground objects except for the spatial imaging of the objects. AHSI has a 60-km swath width and a 30-m spatial resolution, and has high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in spectrum of interest. Large format infrared focal plane arrays which are ordinarily used in staring infrared imaging have some special performance requirements when applied in hyperspectral imaging, such as higher quantum efficiency, lower dark current, lower noise and selectable current conversion gain to match the different radiation flux of different subdivided spectral bands. We developed a format of 2048×512 HgCdTe/Si IRFPA sensor (equivalent 2012×256 after pixel overlapping and binning) in which 2012 pixels meet the demands of 60km swath width and 256 pixels line meet the 200 spectral bands. The sensor has 8-level gains selectable by spectral bands, and array dark current densities on an order of 10 ^-10 A/cm ² , quantum efficiency exceeding 80%, and the operability of 99.5% at operating temperature of around 110K. The SNR of this FPA achieved 150 when illuminated under 5×10 ⁴ photons/pixel.

This paper presents the recent progress on the study of device processings at multilayer HgCdTe film for integrated two-color (SWIR/MWIR) n-p-P-P-N detector arrays. The four-layer p-P-P-N heterostructures Hg_1-xCd_xTe film needed to achieve two color detector arrays was grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on (211)B oriented GaAs substrates. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) data for the HgCdTe film was obtained. The p-type layer on top of a thin P-type potential barrier layer and the SWIR P-on-N homojunction photodiode formed in-situ during MBE growth using indium impurity doping was processed into the MWIR planar photodiode by selective B⁺-implantation. The preliminary 256×1 linear arrays of SWIR/MWIR HgCdTe two-color FPAs detector were then achieved by mesa isolation, side-wall passivation and contact metallization. At 78K, the average R0A values of SWIR and MWIR are 3.852×10⁵ Wcm² and 3.015×10² Wcm², and the average peak detectivities D_λp^* are 1.57×10¹¹cmHz^1/2/W and 5.63×10¹⁰ cmHz^1/2/W respectively. The SWIR photodiode cut-off wavelength is 3.04μm and the MWIR photodiode cut-off wavelength is 5.74μm, quite consistent with the initial device design. The SWIR response spectrum of the two-color detector with a distinct fall-off at shorter wavelength regime was discussed especially.

To overcome the limitations of CdZnTe substrates for large-format, low-cost HgCdTe infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs), the epitaxial growth of HgCdTe films on alternative substrates (e.g., GaAs and Si) has become an important research focus. The lattice mismatch of approximately 14% between the GaAs alternative substrate and the HgCdTe material generates a high density of interfacial defects, such as dislocations and twins. These defects induce a high density of interface states within the near-interface bandgap, resulting in interfacial recombination and consequently limiting device performance. This paper proposes an optimization method for the HgCdTe/GaAs interface that involves substrate removal and surface passivation after the fabrication of GaAs-based HgCdTe infrared (IR) detectors. The GaAs substrate was removed without damage through chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and selective wet chemical etching. A bromine-based solution (Br₂–HBr) was employed to eliminate the surface damage layer for interfacial optimization, and a composite dielectric film was deposited to achieve simultaneous surface passivation and optical antireflection. Experimental results on n-on-p devices operating at 80 K demonstrate that after interfacial optimization, the average quantum efficiency across the 3.5–6.1 μm wavelength range increased from 58% to 84% and the blackbody responsivity improved from 8.7 × 10⁶ V/W to 1.6 × 10⁷ V/W. Both quantum efficiency and blackbody responsivity reached levels comparable to those of CdZnTe-based detectors. Numerical fitting based on the carrier diffusion model indicated that interfacial optimization reduced the surface potential by approximately two orders of magnitude, effectively suppressing interfacial recombination.

Compared to the traditional flip-chip bonded focal plane array, in high-density vertically integrated photodiode (HDVIP) focal plane technology, the thickness of the mercury cadmium telluride (MCT or Hg_1−xCd_xTe) layer serves as a more critical parameter. This parameter not only influences the efficiency of photon energy absorption but also defines the pn junction area, thereby affecting the magnitude of the dark current. Furthermore, it significantly impacts the manufacturability of via-hole etching and formation processes. This paper investigated the photonic crystal resonances and coherent perfect absorption (CPA) effect of a thin MCT layer in HDVIP by using COMSOL Multiphysics^® 4.3b and optimized the structure of the loop-hole photodiode device. The CPA, which is formed by this structure, achieves high absorption of illumination in a very thin MCT film. It is demonstrated that an absorption rate of infrared radiation of more than 95% with a wavelength during the 8 µm–10 µm range can be achieved in Hg_1−xCd_xTe (x = 0.225) with a thickness of only 1.5 µm–3 µm. The benefit of thinner MCT film is that it decreases the dark current of pn junction and reduces the technical difficulty of etching and metallization of the loop-hole photodiode.