Long wavelength infrared sensor materials and method of synthesis thereof

A long wavelength infrared sensor material comprising:

• a dilute nitrogen alloy of InNxSb1-x epilayers strained to an InSb epitaxial substrate;
• wherein the infrared sensor material was fabricated using a substrate temperature in a range of about 400° C. to 420° C., a nitrogen plasma source power in a range of about 250-350 W, and a ratio of In flux to Sb flux in the range of about 1 to 2;
• wherein the nitrogen composition in the alloy is in a range of about 0.2% to 1.5%;
• wherein the infrared sensor material exhibits reduced surface roughness and improved crystalline quality compared with a comparative sensor material fabricated at a same nitrogen plasma source power in a range of about 250-350 W and a same ratio of In flux to Sb flux in a range of about 1 to 2 and at a lower temperature below 400° C.;
• wherein the infrared sensor material has a cut-off wavelength in a range of 8-14 μm;
• and
• wherein an X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the infrared sensor material shows a peak with full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 40 arcsec.