In response to the escalating demands for enhanced spatial resolution and detection sensitivity in high-end short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) applications—ranging from remote sensing and night vision to biological imaging—infrared imaging pixels are constantly being miniaturized. However, when the pixel dimensions of mainstream indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) detectors are scaled down to the micrometer or even sub-micrometer range, a host of challenges emerge. These include a dramatic surge in dark current, pixel crosstalk, as well as a significant uptick in the complexity of both the manufacturing process and packaging. Collectively, these issues pose a substantial barrier to further enhancing imaging resolution and the system's signal-to-noise ratio.
