Evaluation of Schottky barrier and PBTE IR-CCD detectors for the SWIR and MIR wavelengths range, executive summary

Platinum silicide Schottky barrier (SB) sensor arrays for the 1.5 to 3 micron wavelength range and lead telluride sensors combined with a silicon CCD multiplexer for the 3 to 45 micron range were studied. The choice of the application wavelength range for each sensor type is arbitrary, as they both are sensitive up to + or - 5 microns. However, the spectral response of SB diodes monotonically decreases from the cut on wavelength, whereas the response of the PbTe sensors can be tuned by applying the proper processing conditions. The refinement of the existing SB models in order to obtain a better understanding for the sensor improvement, and the introduction and optimization of the SB process steps into the existing tripple poly CCD process are described. The development of a combined CCD-PbTe process and the design of a parametric model as a tool for the optimization of the CCD multiplexer design are described. The designs for the SBCCD as well as for the PbTe CCD are realized. On the mask set several options concerning the PbTe readout and SB sensor design are implemented in order to verify design assumptions.