EFFECT OF I-LAYER PARAMETERS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SI N(-I-N(+) HOMOJUNCTION FAR-INFRARED DETECTORS())

A unified formalism, including space-charge-limited (SCL) conduction, tunneling, and the multiple-image-force effect, is developed to perfor m a complete analysis of Si n(+)-i-n(+) homojunction interfacial workf unction internal photoemission (HIWIP) FIR detectors. It is shown that due to the space-charge effect, the detector performance, such as cut off wavelength (lambda(c)), quantum efficiency (eta), dark current (I- d), noise equivalent power (NEP), etc., is strongly influenced by the i-layer thickness (W-i) and compensating acceptor concentration (N-ai) in addition to the emitter layer parameters. As a result, the optimum operating conditions of detectors also depend on W-i and N-ai. The ba ckground limited performance (BLIP) is evaluated, and a critical W-i v alue is found for BLIP operation.