METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A DETECTOR DEVICE AND DETECTOR DEVICE OBTAINED

摘要

In the manufacture of an infrared radiation detector device, a body of p-type cadmium mercury telluride is bombarded with ions to etch away a part of the body. From the etched-away part of the body an excess concentration of mercury is produced which acts as a dopant source converting an adjacent part of the body into n-type material. The energy of the bombarding ions is less than 30 keV. By appropriately choosing the ion dose this conversion from p-type to n-type can be effected over a depth considerably greater than the penetration depth of the ions. A p-n junction can be fabricated in this way for a photovoltaic detector. The conductivity type conversion may even be effected through the body thickness. The etching and conversion can be localized by masking part of the body surface against the ion bombardment.