Implant guarded mesa having improved detector uniformity

An array of photodetectors comprising:

• a substrate;
• a first layer comprised of radiation absorbing Group II-VI semiconductor material overlying the substrate, the first layer having a first conductivity type;
• a second layer comprised of Group II-VI semiconductor material overlying the first layer, the second layer having a second conductivity type that is opposite that of the first layer, the first second layers being differentiated into a plurality of upstanding mesa-structures separated from one another by a plurality of intersecting channels that extend from a top surface of the array completely through the second layer of semiconductor material and partially into the layer of semiconductor material, each of the mesa structures containing an interface between the first and the second layers for forming therein a p-n photodiode junction and having disposed thereon a first contact metallization pad in contact with the second layer;
• a semiconductor region disposed continuously along and within a bottom surface region of each of the intersecting channels, the semiconductor region being contained within only the material of the first layer and having a carrier concentration that is sufficiently large for repelling minority charge carriers that would otherwise diffuse beneath the channel;
• and
• a common second contact metallization pad for the array of photodetectors, said common contract metallization pad in contact with said first layer lateral to said array.