Control over the optical and electronic performance of GaAs/AlGaAs QWIPs grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Commercial production of quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) frequently requires targeting of the detector peak responsivity and the cutoff wavelength that are directly related to the thickness of the GaAs quantum well and the composition of the AlGaAs barrier. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is a technique that allows a tight control over the quantum-well structure. We discuss control over the growth parameters that enable us to meet tight optical and electronic specifications during the production of QWIP epi wafers on multi-wafer MBE reactors. Control over the dark current densities is examined through the correlation with the doping levels and the detector cutoff wavelength.