Effect of Thermal Annealing on the Metal-Semiconductor Contact of a CZT Schottky Detector

Abstract

A thermal annealing process has been included in the Cadmium Zinc Telludie (CZT) detector fabrication procedure to decrease the leakage current and to obtain a stable detector performance. Because of its low work function, indium can be used as the metal contact of a CZT Schottky detector. The effect of low-temperature annealing on an indium/CZT contact was studied. CZT Schottky detectors with an indium/CZT/gold structure were made. The detectors were annealed for 10 hours in a vacuum and for 2, 4, and 8 hours in air. The leakage current and the energy resolution of each detector were measured before and after the annealing process, and the measured data were compared. The operating performance of CZT Schottky detector was found to be enhanced when the detector was annealed at a low temperature in air.