Collection efficiency of drift-field photodetectors made from low-lifetime materials

The short-circuit current of a CdTe drift-field photodetector is calculated for lifetimes from 5 × 10
^-10
to 10
^-7
s. It is shown that the optimal drift-field region thicknesses for visible and near-infrared light are between 0.4 and 5 µm. A method for producing such structure is proposed.