The detection device comprises a cold finger which performs thermal connection between a detector fitted on a cooling plate and a cooling system. The cold finger comprises at least one side wall at least partially formed by an area made from the hafnium-based amorphous metal alloy. Advantageously, the whole of the cold finger is made from the hafnium-based amorphous metal alloy.

A two-terminal detector has a back-to-back p/n/p SWIR/MWIR stack structure, which includes P-SWIR absorber, N-SWIR, wide bandgap bather, N-MWIR absorber, and P-MWIR layers, with contacts on the P-MWIR and P-SWIR layers. The junction between the SWIR layers and the junction between the MWIR layers are preferably passivated. The detector stack is preferably arranged such that a negative bias applied to the top of the stack reverse-biases the MWIR junction and forward-biases the SWIR junction, such that the detector collects photocurrent from MWIR radiation. A positive bias forward-biases the MWIR junction and reverse-biases the SWIR junction, such that photocurrent from SWIR radiation is collected. A larger positive bias induces electron avalanche at the SWIR junction, thereby providing detector sensitivity sufficient to provide low light level passive amplified imaging. Detector sensitivity in this mode is preferably sufficient to provide high resolution 3-D eye-safe LADAR imaging.

A method of manufacturing a photodiode including a useful layer made of a semi-conductor alloy. The useful layer has a band gap value which decreases from its upper face to its lower face. A step of producing a first doped region forming a PN junction with a second doped region of the useful layer, said production of a first doped region including a first doping step, so as to produce a base portion; and a second doping step, so as to produce at least one protuberance protruding from the base portion and in the direction of the lower face.

A method for manufacturing a multi-spectral photodiode array in a Cd.sub.xHg.sub.1-xTe semiconductor layer constituted of pixels, the method including a step of producing a PN junction in each pixel and further includes producing a cadmium-rich structure on the semiconductor layer, structured so that all the pixels are not surmounted by a same quantity of cadmium atoms, this quantity being able to be zero; and inter-diffusion annealing, realising the diffusion of cadmium atoms from the cadmium-rich structure to the semiconductor layer. Pixels that do not all have the same cutoff wavelength are thereby obtained.

The detection device comprises a cold finger which performs the thermal connection between a detector and a cooling system. The cold finger comprises at least one side wall at least partially formed by an area made from the amorphous metal alloy. Advantageously, the whole of the cold finger is made from the amorphous metal alloy.

A radiation detector is provided that includes a photodiode having a radiation absorber with a graded multilayer structure. Each layer of the absorber is formed from a semiconductor material, such as HgCdTe. A first of the layers is formed to have a first predetermined wavelength cutoff. A second of the layers is disposed over the first layer and beneath the first surface of the absorber through which radiation is received. The second layer has a graded composition structure of the semiconductor material such that the wavelength cutoff of the second layer varies from a second predetermined wavelength cutoff to the first predetermined wavelength cutoff such that the second layer has a progressively smaller bandgap than the first bandgap of the first layer. The graded multilayer radiation absorber structure enables carriers to flow toward a conductor that is used for measuring the radiation being sensed by the radiation absorber.

A double photodiode electromagnetic radiation sensor device including a substrate, a first integrated photodiode (PD1), a second integrated photodiode (PD2), and more than one metal contact. The substrate may be within a first semiconductor material that defines a first face and a second face. The PD1 may include a first doped region extending to the second face and a n- type doping. The PD1 may further include a second doped region extending to the second face having a p+ type doping. The PD2 may include the first doped region, and a layer in a second semiconductor material placed on the second face in contact with the first doped region defining a third face. The PD2 may yet further include a doped layer in the second semiconductor material having a p+ type doping and overlapping the third face.

A substrate to fabricate a photodiode structure has a top layer made from cadmium-doped semiconductor material. A first HgCdTe-base layer is formed by liquid phase epitaxy from the top layer with a bath containing an n-type electrically active dopant to electrically dope the first layer. The cadmium diffuses from the top layer to the first layer to form a decreasing cadmium concentration gradient from the interface with the top layer in a direction away from the interface. The cadmium concentration gradient causes a decreasing band gap width gradient in the first layer from the interface and causes an n-type dopant concentration gradient in the first layer from the interface.

A system includes a focal planar array having multiple pixels. Each of at least some of the pixels includes a semiconductor substrate and a pixel formed in or over the semiconductor substrate, where the pixel includes a first implant having a first doping concentration and a second implant within the first implant. The second implant has a different width and/or depth than the first implant and a second doping concentration higher than the first doping concentration.