A SiN
x film deposited by Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) Plasma CVD has been successfully used as a surface passivant for Hg
0.7Cd
0.3Te. Detailed analysis of the Te, Cd and Si at the SiN
x/HgCdTe interface using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the deposited SiN
x reduces the naturally grown HgCdTe native oxide. The oxygen taken from the Te and Cd oxidizes SiH
4 and produces silicon oxides which remain in the SiN
x film. The ECR-Plasma slightly damages the HgCdTe surface, but this was repaired by annealing at 100°C for 1 hour. After annealing, the SiN
x interfaces has an excellent interface with HgCdTe with surface-state density as low as 1×10
11cm
-2eV
-1 and a low fixed charge of -1.4×10
11cm
-2. Measurements of the flat-band shifts after exposure to a humid environment verified that the SiN
x is more moisture-resistant than the conventional ZnS passivant. A diode of area 4.8×10
-5cm
2 and λ
co of 5.4μm passivated with SiN
x had a zero-bias resistance of 4×10
10Ω at 77K.
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