The pseudo-binary semiconductor material of mercury cadmium telluride (HgxCd1-xTe) has excellent electro-optical characteristics，which is one of the most important materials for the preparation of high-sensitivity infrared detectors. In order to enhance the performance of HgxCd1-xTe photodetectors, various HgxCd1-xTe material preparation technologies and device manufacturing processes have been developed. However, in the preparation of various materials and device applications, the surface of HgxCd1-xTe will be affected by the environment and adverse surface effects. It is necessary to use advanced passivation technology to process its surface charge state to improve the electrical and physical properties of the material surface, thereby realize the improvement of device detection performance. Therefore, the surface passivation process of the HgxCd1-xTe thin film is very important to the performance improvement of the HgxCd1-xTe infrared detector. The growth methods of the passivation layer on the surface of HgCdTe thin films in recent years are summarized and analyzed. According to the classification and summary of the original passivation and non-intrinsic passivation, the advantages and disadvantages of different passivation methods are analyzed, and the future HgCdTe thin film passivation process is prospected.