Performance improvement of quantum dot infrared photodetectors through modeling

This paper presents a method to evaluate and improve the performance of quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs). We proposed a device model for QDIPs. The developed model accounts for the self-consistent potential distribution, features of the electron capture and transport in realistic QDIPs in dark and illumination conditions. This model taking the effect of donor charges on the spatial distribution of the electric potential in the QDIP active region. The model is used for the calculation of the dark current, photocurrent and detectivity as a function of the structural parameters such as applied voltage, doping QD density, QD layers, and temperature. It explains strong sensitivity of dark current to the density of QDs and the doping level of the active region. In order to confirm our models and their validity on the practical applications, a comparison between the results obtained by proposed models and that experimentally published are conducted and full agreement is observed. Results show the effectiveness of methodology introduced.