Infrared photodetector with optical amplification and low dark current

1. A phototransistor comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode;

an emitter with a first bandgap, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the emitter;

a collector with a second bandgap, wherein the second electrode is coupled to the collector; and

a base between the emitter and the collector, wherein the base has a smaller bandgap than the first bandgap for the emitter and a smaller bandgap than the second bandgap for the collector;

wherein the base has a thickness greater than 500 nanometers;

wherein the phototransistor is a two terminal detector having only the first electrode coupled to the emitter and the second electrode coupled to the collector;

wherein the phototransistor is configured to operate with a less than 1 volt bias between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode; and

wherein the base absorbs photons passing through the collector to the base.

2. The phototransistor of claim 1 further comprising:

a substrate;

wherein the emitter is on a first region of the substrate; and

wherein the emitter electrode is on a second region of the substrate.

3. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein a bias voltage between the collector the emitter is equal to or less than 1 volt; and

wherein a gain of the phototransistor is less than 50.

4. The phototransistor of claim 1 wherein:

the collector is an n-type collector;

the base is a p-type base; and

the emitter is an n-type emitter; or

the collector is an p-type collector;

the base is a n-type base; and

the emitter is an p-type emitter.

5. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein the respective bandgaps of the collector, base and emitter are configured so that when a photon passes through the collector and is absorbed in the base, a photon generated electron and hole pair is created in the base, the electron of the photon generated electron and hole pair can freely move to the collector, and the hole of the photon generated electron and hole pair stays in the base due to a barrier at a base-emitter interface.

6. The phototransistor of claim 5 :

wherein the respective bandgaps of the collector, base and emitter are configured so that an accumulation of holes near the base-emitter interface changes a band profile near the base-emitter interface such that a potential barrier for electrons at the base-emitter interface allows a tunneling current of electrons from the emitter through the base to the collector induced by photon generated holes accumulated in the base.

7. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein the phototransistor comprises polycrystalline material or inorganic material.

8. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein the base comprises an InAs/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 100 meV;

wherein the emitter comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 200 meV; and

wherein the collector comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 200 meV.

9. The phototransistor of claim 8 :

wherein the base is about 3 μm thick;

wherein the emitter is about 2 μm thick; and

wherein the collector is about 0.75 μm thick.

10. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is dependent on an applied bias voltage between the collector and the emitter;

wherein a photo current gain of the phototransistor ranges from 2 to 6 depending on the applied bias voltage; and

wherein a dark current of the phototransistor ranges from 2 to 4 depending on the applied bias voltage.

11. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is greater than 100 percent for an applied bias voltage between the collector and the emitter greater than −200 millivolts; and

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is greater than 300 percent for an applied bias voltage between the collector and the emitter of −1 volt, and a gain of the phototransistor exceeds 10.

12. A method of providing a phototransistor comprising:

providing a first electrode and a second electrode;

providing an emitter with a first bandgap, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the emitter;

providing a collector with a second bandgap, wherein the second electrode is coupled to the collector; and

providing a base between the emitter and the collector, wherein the base has a smaller bandgap than the first bandgap for the emitter and a smaller bandgap than the second bandgap for the collector;

wherein the base has a thickness greater than 500 nanometers;

wherein the phototransistor is a two terminal detector having only the first electrode coupled to the emitter and the second electrode coupled to the collector;

wherein the phototransistor is configured to operate with a less than 1 volt bias between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode; and

wherein the base absorbs photons passing through the collector to the base.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a substrate;

wherein the emitter is on a first region of the substrate; and

wherein the emitter electrode is on a second region of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a bias between the collector electrode and the emitter electrode equal to or less than 1 volt; and

wherein a gain of the phototransistor is less than 50.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the collector is an n-type collector;

the base is a p-type base; and

the emitter is an n-type emitter; or

the collector is an p-type collector;

the base is a n-type base; and

the emitter is an p-type emitter.

16. The method of claim 12 :

wherein the respective bandgaps of the collector, base and emitter are configured so that when a photon passes through the collector and is absorbed in the base, a photon generated electron and hole pair is created in the base, the electron of the photon generated electron and hole pair can freely move to the collector, and the hole of the photon generated electron and hole pair stays in the base due to a barrier at a base-emitter interface.

17. The method of claim 16 :

wherein the respective bandgaps of the collector, base and emitter are configured so that an accumulation of holes near the base-emitter interface changes a band profile near the base-emitter interface such that a potential barrier for electrons at the base-emitter interface allows a tunneling current of electrons from the emitter through the base to the collector induced by photon generated holes accumulated in the base.

18. The method of claim 12 :

wherein the base comprises an InAs/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 100 meV;

wherein the emitter comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 200 meV; and

wherein the collector comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice with an energy gap of about 200 meV.

19. The method of claim 18 :

wherein the base is about 3 μm thick;

wherein the emitter is about 2 μm thick; and

wherein the collector is about 0.75 μm thick.

20. The method of claim 12 :

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is dependent on an applied bias between the collector and the emitter;

wherein a photo current gain of the phototransistor ranges from 2 to 6 depending on the applied bias; and

wherein a dark current of the phototransistor ranges from 2 to 4 depending on the applied bias.

21. The method of claim 12 :

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is greater than 100 percent for an applied bias between the collector and the emitter greater than −200 millivolts; and

wherein a quantum efficiency of the phototransistor is greater than 300 percent for an applied bias between the collector and the emitter of −1 volt, and a gain of the phototransistor exceeds 10.

22. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein the collector and the emitter each have a bandgap of about 200 meV; and

wherein the base has a bandgap of about 100 meV.

23. The phototransistor of claim 1 :

wherein the base comprises an InAs/GaSb superlattice;

wherein the emitter comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice; and

wherein the collector comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice.

24. The method of claim 12 :

wherein the collector and the emitter each have a bandgap of about 200 meV; and

wherein the base has a bandgap of about 100 meV.

25. The method of claim 12 :

wherein the base comprises an InAs/GaSb superlattice;

wherein the emitter comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice; and

wherein the collector comprises an InAs/GaSb/AlSb/GaSb superlattice.