Transient simulation of resonant cavity enhanced heterojunctionphotodiodes

The transient response of heterojunction photodiodes under pulse illumination has been simulated. By solving discretized time dependent drift-diffusion and Poisson equations, the local potential and carrier concentrations are computed at each time step. The device-level simulation is carried out by a circuit simulator in which localized carrier transport is modeled by circuit elements such as voltage controlled current sources, capacitors, and resistors. Results on conventional AlGaAs/GaAs and resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) GaAs/InGaAs heterojunction p-i-n photodiodes are presented. For a 10-μm×10-μm area detector, more than 40% bandwidth improvement along with a two-fold increase in the efficiency is predicted for RCE devices over optimized conventional photodiodes     

Metamorphic graded bandgap InGaAs-InGaAlAs-InAlAs doubleheterojunction p-i-I-n photodiodes

High-speed metamorphic double heterojunction photodiodes were fabricated on GaAs substrates for long-wavelength optical fiber communications. The high quality linearly graded quaternary InGaAlAs metamorphic buffer layer made possible the growth of excellent InGaAs-InGaAlAs-InAlAs heterostructures on GaAs substrates. The use of a novel double heterostructure employing an InGaAlAs optical impedance matching layer, a chirped InGaAs-InAlAs superlattice graded bandgap layer (SL-GBL), and a large bandgap i-InAlAs drift region enabled photodiodes to achieve a low dark current of 500 pA, a responsivity of 0.6 A/W, and a -3 dB bandwidth of 38 GHz at -5 V reverse bias for 1.55 μm light. The effect of accumulated charges at the InGaAs-InAlAs heterointerface was examined through a comparison of the dark currents of InGaAs-InAlAs and InGaAs-InP abrupt single heterojunction photodiodes; to photodiodes with chirped InGaAs-InAlAs SL-GBLs. The charge accumulation effects observed in abrupt heterojunction devices were suppressed by including a chirped InGaAs-InAlAs SL-GBL between the InGaAs absorption layer and InAlAs drift layer. The effect of passivation techniques was evaluated by comparing dark currents of unpassivated photodiodes and photodiodes passivated with either polyimide or SiN_x. The enhancement of photodiode bandwidth through the inclusion of a transparent large bandgap I-InAlAs drift region was verified by comparing the bandwidths of the P-i-I-N photodiodes that have I-InAlAs between i-InGaAs photoabsorption layer and N⁺ InAlAs cathode to conventional P-i-N photodiodes without a drift region     

GaAs/AlGaAs谐振腔增强型光探测器的实现及其特性研究

本文报导ＧａＡｓ／ＡｌＡｇＡｓ谐振腔增强型（ＲＣＥ）光探测器的实验研究结果,并对器件的特性进行了理论分析。通过实验验证了ＲＣＥ器件谐振腔两个镜面的反射率随着波长的变化以及器件分层结构折射率差二者对器件性能的影响,并证明了分析理论的正确性。器件在８１０ｎｍ附近的响应峰的３ｄＢ谱线宽度约为２０ｎｍ,最大量子效率约为１１％。该光探测器具有较好的波长选择特性,将会成为波分复用（ＷＤＭ）光纤通信系统中比较理     

Numerical modeling of energy balance equations in quantum well AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs p-i-n photodiodes

The energy balance equations coupled with drift diffusion transport equations in heterojunction semiconductor devices are solved modeling hot electron effects in single quantum well p-i-n photodiodes. The transports across the heterojunction boundary and through quantum wells are modeled by thermionic emission theory. The simulation and experimental current-voltage characteristics of a single p-i-n GaAs/Al _xGa_1-xAs quantum well agree over a wide range of current and voltage, The GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs p-i-n structures with multi quantum wells are simulated and the dark current voltage characteristics, short circuit current, and open circuit voltage results are compared with the available experimental data, In agreement with the experimental data, simulated results show that by adding GaAs quantum wells to the conventional cell made of wider bandgap Al_x Ga_1-xAs, short circuit current is improved, but there is a loss of the voltage of the host cell, In the limit of radiative recombination, the maximum power point of an Al_0.35Ga_0.65As/GaAs p-i-n photodiode with 30-quantum-well periods is higher than the maximum power point of similar conventional bulk p-i-n cells made out of either host Al_0.35Ga_0.65As or bulk GaAs material     

Design and optimization of high-speed resonant cavity enhancedSchottky photodiodes

Resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) photodiodes (PD's) are promising candidates for applications in optical communications and interconnects where high-speed high-efficiency photodetection is desirable. In RCE structures, the electrical properties of the photodetector remain mostly unchanged; however, the presence of the microcavity causes wavelength selectivity accompanied by a drastic increase of the optical field at the resonant wavelengths. The enhanced optical field allows to maintain a high efficiency for faster transit-time limited PD's with thinner absorption regions. The combination of an RCE detection scheme with Schottky PD's allows for the fabrication of high-performance photodetectors with relatively simple material structures and fabrication processes. In top-illuminated RCE Schottky PD's, a semitransparent Schottky contact can also serve as the top reflector of the resonant cavity. We present theoretical and experimental results on spectral and high-speed properties of GaAs-AlAs-InGaAs RCE Schottky PD's designed for 900-nm wavelength     

High quantum efficiency and narrow absorption bandwidth of thewafer-fused resonant In0.53Ga0.47As photodetectors

We demonstrate greater than 90% quantum efficiency in an In_0.53Ga_0.47As photodetector with a thin (900 Å) absorbing layer. This was achieved by inserting the In_0.53 Ga_0.47As/InP epitaxial layer into a microcavity composed of a GaAs/AlAs quarter-wavelength stack (QWS) and a Si/SiO₂ dielectric mirror. The 900-Å-thick In_0.53 Ga_0.47As layer was wafer fused to a GaAs/AlAs mirror, having nearly 100% power reflectivity. A Si/SiO₂ dielectric mirror was subsequently deposited onto the wafer-fused photodiode to form an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity. The external quantum efficiency and absorption bandwidth for the wafer-fused RCE photodiodes were measured to be 94±3% and 14 nm, respectively. To our knowledge, these wafer-fused RCE photodetectors have the highest external quantum efficiency and narrowest absorption bandwidth ever reported on the long-wavelength resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors     

Optimization procedure for the design of ultrafast, highlyefficient and selective resonant cavity enhanced Schottky photodiodes

An expression of quantum efficiency for high-speed resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) Schottky photodiodes is derived. This expression includes the structural and the physical parameters of the photodetector and takes into account the parameters of the metallic Schottky mirror and the wavelength dependence of the reflectivities. The metal layer thickness sets the maximum achievable quantum efficiency as it decays exponentially with it. The antireflection coating layer, on the other hand, determines the photodetector selectivity and the optimum absorption layer thickness that maximizes its quantum efficiency. An algorithm for the design and optimization of RCE Schottky photodetectors has been developed. Theoretical values of 647 GHz and 129 GHz were obtained, respectively, for the carrier-transit time limited 3-dB bandwidth and bandwidth-efficiency product for an RCE Schottky photodetector with a 0.02 μm gold layer     

Gain-bandwidth product optimization of heterostructure avalanche photodiodes

A generalized history-dependent recurrence theory for the time-response analysis is derived for avalanche photodiodes with multilayer, heterojunction multiplication regions. The heterojunction multiplication region considered consists of two layers: a high-bandgap Al/sub 0.6/Ga/sub 0.4/As energy-buildup layer, which serves to heat up the primary electrons, and a GaAs layer, which serves as the primary avalanching layer. The model is used to optimize the gain-bandwidth product (GBP) by appropriate selection of the width of the energy-buildup layer for a given width of the avalanching layer. The enhanced GBP is a direct consequence of the heating of primary electrons in the energy-buildup layer, which results in a reduced first dead space for the carriers that are injected into the avalanche-active GaAs layer. This effect is akin to the initial-energy effect previously shown to enhance the excess-noise factor characteristics in thin avalanche photodiodes (APDs). Calculations show that the GBP optimization is insensitive to the operational gain and the optimized APD also minimizes the excess-noise factor.     

High-speed Schottky photodiode on semi-insulating GaAs

A high-speed GaAs photodiode has been fabricated on a GaAs semi-insulating substrate. The photodiode has an active area of 8 ?m × 15 ?m and a bandwidth in excess of 9 GHz. This Schottky photodiodes is suitable for monolithic integration with other optoelectronic components.     

High-speed metal-semiconductor-metal photodiodes with Er-doped GaAs

Very high-speed MSM photodiodes have been fabricated on Er-doped GaAs over a doping range of 10¹⁸-10²⁰ cm^-3 . The impulse response (characterized by photoconductive sampling) of these diodes, with finger widths/spacings of 2 μm, has been found to be tunable over a range of about 3 ps-22 ps. Electro-optic sampling was used to characterize MSM diodes with finger widths/spacings of 0.5 μm and 1 μm on a sample with [Er]=10¹⁹ cm^-3, resulting in 3-dB bandwidths of 160 GHz and 140 GHz, respectively, corresponding to pulse widths of 2.7 ps and 3.3 ps. Correlation measurements were also done on the GaAs:Er samples, using an all-electronic Sampling Optical Temporal Analyzer (SOTA) structure     

Integrated npn/pnp GaAs/AlGaAs HBTs grown by selective MBE

npn and pnp GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors have been successfully fabricated on the same GaAs substrate using selective molecular beam epitaxy and a new merged HBT processing technology. The DC and microwave characteristics of the transistors are equivalent to those of similar HBTs grown by conventional MBE on separate GaAs substrates.<>     

Performance of a high-resolution contact-type linear image sensorwith a-Si:H/a-SiC:H heterojunction photodiodes

A 400 DPI (dots-per-inch) contact-type linear image sensor with a scanning speed of 2 ms/line using amorphous silicon photodiodes and poly-Si thin-film transistor drivers has been developed. The characteristics of the heterojunction photodiodes are discussed, and the results of sensor performance tests are examined in terms of output signal uniformity, photoresponse lag, spectral response, gray scale, and the reliability of the 400 DPI image sensor     

(GaAl)As/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors with graded composition in the base

The first fabrication and high-speed operation of a three-terminal (AlGa)As/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor with graded bandgap base is reported. Cutoff frequencies up to 16 GHz have been achieved in devices fabricated from material made by molecular beam epitaxy. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using a graded (AlGa)As base to enhance the speed of heterojunction bipolar transistors.     

The impact of a large bandgap drift region in long-wavelengthmetamorphic photodiodes

A comparative study of two types of metamorphic double heterojunction long-wavelength photodiodes on GaAs substrates is performed in terms of their bandwidths and responsivities. A p-i-i-n heterostructure with a large bandgap drift layer (I-InAlAs) at the cathode end of the photoabsorption region (i-InGaAs) is compared experimentally and theoretically to a p-i-n structure without a drift layer. Both types of photodiodes were fabricated using an InGaAs-InGaAlAs-InAlAs double heterostructure design to simultaneously achieve high bandwidths and high responsivities. The inclusion of an I-InAlAs drift region resulted in p-i-i-n photodiodes with larger bandwidths than p-i-n photodiodes with the same areas, or conversely a p-i-i-n photodiode can be made larger than a comparable p-i-n photodiode, but achieve the same bandwidth. Therefore, p-i-i-n photodiodes provide larger optical fiber alignment tolerances and better coupling efficiency than p-i-n photodiodes with the same bandwidths, p-i-i-n photodiodes with 10-μm-diameter optical windows typically exhibited low dark currents of 500 pA at 5-V bias, responsivities of 0.6 A/W, and a -3-dB bandwidth of 38 GHz for 1.55-μm operation     

Heterojunction vertical FETs revisited: potential for 225-GHzlarge-current operation

The high-speed operation of submicrometer Al_xGa_1-x As/GaAs unipolar heterojunction transistors is examined using two-dimensional time-dependent self-consistent ensemble Monte Carlo simulation. Careful device design can significantly increase ballistic injection over the heterojunction in steady state by eliminating retarding gate-induced space-charge reversal there. Design for optimal large-signal transient operation must also avoid gate-voltage-dependent ballistic injection. General design principles for optimizing high-speed operation are proposed. The resulting VFETs show cutoff frequencies of 225 GHz at large drain currents at 300 K, with frequency-independent two-port y parameters     

30 Gb/s Over 100-m MMFs Using 1.1-$mu$ m Range VCSELs and Photodiodes

We developed 1.1-mum-range vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers based on InGaAs-GaAs quantum wells, back-illuminated InGaAs photodiodes, and transimpedance amplifiers (InP heterojunction bipolar transistor) for high-speed optical interconnection. Clear eye opening operation and error-free transmission at 30 Gb/s over 100-m multimode fibers (GI32) were successfully achieved for the first time.     

A new ESD protection structure for high-speed GaAs RF ICs

We demonstrate a new electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure for high-speed GaAs RF ICs. The structure is composed of small diodes and large transistors using an InGaP heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. Its loading effect and its robustness are evaluated experimentally. The impedance of the new structure at OFF state, represented with an equivalent shunt capacitance and an equivalent shunt resistance, are 0.22 pF and 500 /spl Omega/ at 10 GHz. The structure can withstand +2700-V and -2900-V human body model ESD pulses. It can clamp voltage more effectively than the conventional diode-based ESD structure. The new structure can be used to protect 10 Gb/s input/output pins of high-speed RF ICs against ESD.     

AlGaAs/GaAs JFETs by organo-metallic and molecular beam epitaxy

Normally-off and normally-on AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction gate GaAs FETs (HJFETs) for high-speed logic applications have been fabricated with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and organometallic vapour phase epitaxy (OM-VPE). The best normally-off devices used MBE n-GaAs active layers and OM-VPE gate layers of p+-AlGaAs and p+-GaAs. Saturation currents followed a square law and current scaling constants were the highest on record for HJFETs, greater than 50 ?A/?m-V2.     

Modeling and performance of wafer-fused resonant-cavity enhancedphotodetectors

We discuss wavelength tuning and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects in a resonant-cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetector. Specific design conditions are made for a thin In_0.53Ga_0.47As (900 Å) photodetector wafer-fused to a GaAs-AlAs quarter wavelength stacks (QWS). Analytic expressions for the calculation of resonant wavelength and standing wave effects are derived, using a hard mirror concept of fixed phase upon reflection, and are found to agree reasonably well with the exact numerical approach, using a transmission matrix method. We then experimentally demonstrate that wavelength tuning as large as 140 nm and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects are clearly observed in our wafer-fused photodetectors, consistent with the predictions. The external quantum efficiency at 1.3 μm wavelength and absorption bandwidth for the wafer-fused RCE photodiodes integrated with an amorphous Si-SiO₂ dielectric mirror are measured to be 94% and 14 nm, respectively. This technique allows the formation of multichannel photodetectors with high quantum efficiency and small crosstalk, suitable for application to wavelength demultiplexing and high-speed, high-sensitivity optical communication systems     

Optoelectronic components for multigigabit systems

Gigabit data rates are becoming relevant for several applications areas, including computer interconnections, trunk telecommunications, and phased-array radar control. LED's, lasers, p-i-n FET's, photoconductors, and avalanche photodiodes are candidate components. Silicon NMOS, bipolar, GaAs FET, and heterojunction bipolar logic IC technologies are all appropriate and no obstacles are apparent to prevent direct modulation tosim10-20Gbit/s. Wavelength multiplexing will impact strongly in several applications enabling complex new system architectures. Increasing speed and complexity will drive technology to higher optoelectronic integration levels.