Traps in ZnS/Anodic Sulfide Film on Mercury Cadmium Telluride

ABSTRACTWe studied the influence of visible light on the ZnS/anodic sulfide/HgCdTe interface.We measured flatband voltage of metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes with semitransparent electrodes at 77 K. In the dark (i.e., without visible light). The flatband voltage of an metal-insulator-semiconductor diode is 0 V. We scanned visible light from 400 to 800 nm and measured the flatband voltage using the photocapacitance measurement. After an initial positive shift, the flatband voltage moved negative by as the wavelength shortened. We studied the relationship between the flatband voltage shift and photon energy using Fowler plots. Results suggest one electron trap level 1.5 eV above the valence band and two hole trap levels 1.7 and 2.3 eV below the conduction band.ZnS/anodic sulfide films on mercury cadmium telluride, studied using photoluminescence spectroscopy, showed broad photoluminescence peaks at 1.5, 1.7, and 2.3 eV, and the edge emission of the anodic sulfide.These results suggest that photoionization of the electron trap and two hole traps in the ZnS/anodic sulfide film causes the flatband shift.