MBE Growth and Characterization of HgCdTe Heterostructures for Multi-Spectral Infrared Focal Plane Arrays

MBE growth of HgCdTe affords excellent control of film layer thicknesses which are required to achieve a stacked simultaneously integrating two-color focal plane array. For the near term, a hybrid design using back-to-back ion implanted diodes in MBE grown material is being pursued. This structure could have as few as two layers, although three layers are preferred to insure full spectral separation and widen manufacturing tolerance windows. The structure also affords the ability to quantify progress in the growth of materials for monolithic approaches, which are in the more distant future. Progress in the growth of MBE films meeting the needs of this structure is presented.