Patent ID: 6674091
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: B82Y,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A device, comprising a radiation detector which includes:an emitter contact layer; a multi-quantum-well structure having a first side in contact with said emitter contact layer and an opposing second side, said multi-quantum-well structure formed of alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers, each barrier layer being of a thickness that allows for a spatial overlap of wavefunctions of adjacent quantum wells to form a common miniband within the quantum wells and to permit a tunneling therethrough from one quantum well to an adjacent quantum well; a blocking barrier layer in contact with said second side of said multi-quantum-well structure and having a thickness that substantially prohibits a tunneling therethrough; a collector contact layer in contact with said blocking barrier layer; a cryogenic chamber that encloses said radiation detector and maintains a chamber temperature between 20 K and 50 K during operation of said radiation detector; and a CMOS readout circuit coupled to said collector contact layer to receive a signal caused by radiation absorbed by said multi-quantum-well structure.