METHOD OF PASSIVATING SURFACE OF CADMIUM-MERCURY TELLURIDE Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC H01L31/18 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to infrared-range multi-element and matrix photodetectors based on cadmium-mercury telluride, specifically to technology of making matrix photosensitive elements. The method of passivating a cadmium-mercury telluride (CMT) surface according to the invention includes depositing on a CMT surface a thin epitaxial layer of cadmium telluride, wherein CMT with the deposited cadmium telluride layer is subjected to heat treatment in an atmosphere of an inert gas in a quasi-closed volume in conditions which prevent degradation of CMT properties, and at a temperature sufficiently high for mutual diffusion of CMT and cadmium telluride, which leads to formation of a graded bandgap region, which provides efficient passivation of the boundary surface.

EFFECT: improved parameters of matrix photosensitive elements due to improved surface passivation compared to other similar coatings, high differential resistance of matrix photodiodes, low dark current, high signal-to-noise ratio, as well as improved reproducibility of the entire process of making matrix photosensitive elements.