Multi-etch detector pixels fabrication and associated imaging systems and methods

A method for fabricating pixels for a barrier detector, the method comprising:

• forming a semiconductor structure for the barrier detector comprising a substrate layer, an absorber layer disposed on the substrate layer and configured to photo generate majority carriers and minority carriers, a barrier layer disposed on the absorber layer and configured to block the majority carriers and to pass the minority carriers, and a first contact layer disposed on the barrier layer;
• and
• forming the pixels from the semiconductor structure, wherein the forming the pixels comprises:
• performing a first etching operation to remove a portion of at least the first contact layer;
• performing a second etching operation to remove a portion of the barrier layer and a portion of the absorber layer, wherein, after the first etching operation and the second etching operation, a remaining portion of the barrier layer overlaps a remaining portion of a continuous absorber layer;
• and
• after the performing the first and second etching operations, forming a passivation layer on exposed surfaces of the contact layer, exposed surfaces of the barrier layer, and exposed surfaces of the continuous absorber layer,
• wherein each of the pixels comprises a respective portion of each of the substrate layer, the first contact layer, the barrier layer, and the absorber layer, and wherein the respective portion of the absorber layer of each of the pixels is a portion of the continuous absorber layer.