INTELLIEPI IR, INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF192-022

Description

This Phase I SBIR proposes to develop high-quality high-performance infrared epitaxy materials based on InGaAsSb absorber material and AlInAsSb multiplication layer lattice matched to GaSb substrate for extended Short-Wave Infrared (eSWIR) Geiger mode avalanche photodiode (GMAPD) applications such as laser ranging and detection. The epi materials will be grown with Sb-capable multi-wafer production Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) reactor at IntelliEPI IR. The initial goal includes achieving low excess noise (k<0.01) and high multiplication (>10) operation within SWIR band with spectral cutoff wavelength of ~2.039 um and dark current density <10nA. In the Sb-based engineered structure, many device properties are determined once epitaxial growth is completed. The technical approach will be to develop improved epitaxial stack design and grown methodology with a goal to dramatically improved detector properties. This approach is based on existing high performance GaSb-based detector technology, with novel design, development of MBE growth to implement the design, and fabrication and characterization of devices from the epi grown material. The Phase II effort will focus on receiver array demonstration.