Direct observation of minority carrier lifetime improvement in InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice photodiodes via interfacial layer control

We present improved performance in strain-balanced InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice photodetectors grown using InSb interfacial layers, measured using a cross-sectional electron beam induced current (EBIC) technique to obtain minority carrier diffusion characteristics. We detail a modified EBIC model that accounts for the long absorber regions in photodetectors and fit the experimental data. We find a significant increase in the minority hole lifetime (up to 157 ns) and increased minority electron lifetime due to the interfacial layers. Additionally, electrical characterization of the device temperature-dependent resistance-area product reveals that the interfacial treatment improves the device dark current at lower temperatures.