Physical model for the dark current of quantum dot infrared photodetectors

Dark current has attracted much attention in recent years due to its great influence on the performance of the QDIP. In this paper, a model for the dark current is proposed with the consideration of the influence of the nanoscale electron transport on the dark current based on the dark current model proposed by H.C. Liu. The model permits calculating the dark current as a function of the electric field, and it can further estimate the photocurrent, the current responsivity and the detectivity via the current equilibrium equation under the dark condition. The results obtained show a good agreement with the experimental results and manifest the validity of the proposed model.

► A model for the dark current of QDIP is proposed.
► The influence of the nanoscale electron transport on dark current is considered.
► The equilibrium equation under the dark condition is discussed.
► The photocurrent, the responsivity and the detectivity are calculated.