Amorphous silicon/silicon carbide superlattice avalanchephotodiodes

An a-Si/SiC:H superlattice avalanche photodiode (SAPD) has been successfully fabricated on an ITO/glass substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The room-temperature electron and hole impact ionization rates, α and β, have been determined for the a-Si/SiC:H superlattice structure by photocurrent multiplication measurements. The ratio α/β is 6.5 at a maximum electric field of 2.08×10⁵ V/cm. Avalanche multiplications in the superlattice layer yields an optical gain of 184 at a reverse bias V_R=20 V and an incident light power P_in=5 μW. An LED-SAPD photocouple exhibited a switching time of 4.5 μs at a load resistance R-1.8 kΩ     

High-responsivity and low-operation-voltage edge-illuminatedrefracting-facet photodiodes with large alignment tolerance forsingle-mode fiber

We demonstrate a novel edge-illuminated refracting-facet photodiode (RFPD), in which the incident light parallel to the up-side surface is refracted at an angled facet and absorbed in a thin absorption layer. Although the absorption layer is thin, the absorption length is effectively increased by making the light transit at a certain angle to the absorption layer, resulting in an increase in internal quantum efficiency. The fabricated RFPDs with an absorption layer thickness of 1.5 μm have a responsivity as high as 0.95 A/W even at a bias voltage of 0.5 V for a flat-ended single-mode fiber. The 1-dB-down misalignment tolerances for vertical and horizontal directions are as large as 9.5 and 33 μm, respectively. A 3-dB bandwidth of more than 6 GHz is obtained     

A selective epitaxial SiGe/Si planar photodetector for Si-basedOEIC's

A P-i-N SiGe/Si superlattice photodetector with a planar structure has been developed for Si-based opto-electronic integrated circuits. To make the planar structure, a novel SiGe/Si selective epitaxial growth technology which uses cold wall ultrahigh-vacuum/chemical vapor deposition has been newly developed. The P-i-N planar SiGe/Si photodetector has an undoped 30-Å Si_0.9Ge_0.1/320-Å Si, 30 periods, superlattice absorption layer, a 0.1-μm P-Si buffer layer, and a 0.2-μm P⁺-Si contact layer on a bonded silicon-on-insulator (η_ext). The bonded SOI is used to increase the external quantum efficiency (η_ext) of the photodetector. Moreover, a 63-μm deep/128-μm wide trench, to achieve simple and stable coupling of an optical fiber to the photodetector, is formed in the silicon chip. The P-i-N planar photodetector exhibits a high η_ext of 25-29% with a low dark current of 0.5 pA/μm² and a high-frequency photo response of 10.5 GHz at λ=0.98 μm     

超晶格雪崩光电二极管的结构优化及性能研究

基于碰撞离化理论研究了异质材料超晶格结构对载流子离化率的作用,设计得到In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As超晶格结构的雪崩光电二极管。通过分析不同结构参数对器件性能的影响,得到了低隧道电流、高倍增因子的超晶格结构雪崩层,根据电场分布方程模拟了器件二维电场分布对电荷层厚度及掺杂的依赖关系,并优化了吸收层的结构参数。对优化得到的器件结构进行仿真并实际制作了探测器件,进行光电特性测试,与同结构普通雪崩光电二极管相比,超晶格雪崩光电二极管具有更强的光电流响应,在12.5~20 V的雪崩倍增区,超晶格雪崩光电二极管在具备高倍增因子的同时具有较低的暗电流,提高了器件的信噪比。     

A normal amorphous silicon-based separate absorption andmultiplication avalanche photodiode (SAMAPD) with very high optical gain

A normal amorphous silicon-based separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodiode (SAMAPD) with very high optical gain of the avalanche photodiode has been developed successfully by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Based on experimental results, using undoped α-Si:H as avalanche layer material and α-Si_1-xGe_x:H as absorption layer material, the hole-injection (HI) type SAMAPD yields a very high optical gain of 686 at a reverse bias of 16 V under an incident light power of P_in =1 μW and has a rise time of 145 μs at a load resistance R=10 kΩ. Thus the amorphous silicon-based SAMAPD is a good candidate for the long-range optical communication applications     

An InGaAs/InAlAs superlattice avalanche photodiode with a gain bandwidth product of 90 GHz

The authors describe the fabrication of an InGaAs/InAlAs superlattice avalanche photodiode with a gain-bandwidth product of 90 GHz. The device is composed of an InGaAs/InAlAs superlattice multiplication region and an InGaAs photoabsorption layer. The effect of the superlattice multiplication region thickness on the gain-bandwidth product was studied. A gain-bandwidth product of 90 GHz was obtained for the device with a multiplication region thickness of 0.52 mu m. Low noise performance is compatible with the high gain-bandwidth product due to improvement of the ionization rate ratio made by introducing a superlattice structure into the multiplication region.<>     

InAs/GaSb infrared photovoltaic detector at 77 K

The characterisation of an 8 μm infrared photovoltaic detector based on InAs/GaSb superlattices is carried out at 77 K for the first time. The built-in field is established by the Fermi level difference between the superlattice surface and the InAs buffer layer. The photocurrent is from photoexcited carriers traversing through the superlattice conduction miniband. A current responsivity of 0.07 A/W has been obtained, implying that one out of 10 photoexcited electrons has been collected     

Demonstration of 3.5 μm Ga1-xInxSb/InAssuperlattice diode laser

A demonstration of a semiconductor diode laser based on a type-II Ga _1-xIn_xSb/InAs superlattice active layer is reported. The laser structure uses InAs/AlSb superlattice cladding layers and a multiquantum well active layer with GaInAsSb barriers and Ga_1-xIn_xSb/InAs-superlattice wells. An emission wavelength of 3.47 μm for pulsed operation up to 160 K is observed     

Excess noise in GaAs avalanche photodiodes with thin multiplicationregions

It is well known that the gain-bandwidth product of an avalanche photodiode can be increased by utilizing a thin multiplication region. Previously, measurements of the excess noise factor of InP-InGaAsP-InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption and multiplication regions indicated that this approach could also be employed to reduce the multiplication noise. This paper presents a systematic study of the noise characteristics of GaAs homojunction avalanche photodiodes with different multiplication layer thicknesses. It is demonstrated that there is a definite “size effect” for multiplication regions less than approximately 0.5 μm. A good fit to the experimental data has been achieved using a discrete, nonlocalized model for the impact ionization process     

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     

A superlattice GaAs/InGaAs-on-GaAs photodetector for 1.3-μmapplications

A metal-semiconductor-metal detector with a InGaAs/GaAs superlattice active layer showing efficient photoresponse up to 1.35 μm is discussed. The active layer with an In composition of approximately 64% is grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a GaAs substrate at 460°C. The large size detector (200×200 μm²) shows bias-dependent DC gain, fast response speed (FWHM <50 ps), and reasonably low dark current     

Bandwidth enhancement for p-end-illuminated InP/InGaAs/InP p-i-nphotodiodes by utilizing symmetrical doping profiles

This paper shows that the bandwidth of a p-end-illuminated planar InP-InGaAs-InP heterojunction p-i-n photodiode can be promoted by using a rather symmetrical doping profile that is produced through diffusion depth control. Caused by extra-depleted InP region in the end of p-InP, the device with symmetrical doping profile has additional series capacitance and thus has a smaller total capacitance than conventional asymmetrical doping profile. Such devices with 0.3 μm depleted InP cap region, together with 1 μm depleted InGaAs absorption region and 0.3 μm depleted InP buffer region, having the capacitance as small as those devices with 1.6 μm depletion region, while have the carrier transit time as short as those devices with 1.3 μm depletion region. Under appropriate bias condition, which is required for getting rid of the heterointerface effects, the symmetrical device as stated with 40 μm junction diameter can have a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding 17 GHz without inductance optimization. For device with conventional asymmetrical doping profile, that is, the p-n junction locating at ~0.1 μm deep in the InGaAs layer, only a bandwidth of about 15 GHz can be obtained. Due to the same thickness of InGaAs absorption layer, both devices have similar responsivity of ~0.8 A/W at -5 V at 1.3 μm wavelength. However, the heterointerface exposed in the depletion region results in several detrimental effects in symmetrical devices, such as interface-generation current, which leads to slightly increased dark current, and barrier/traps for hole transport, which lead to inferior photoresponse at low biases     

4H-SiC 雪崩光电探测器中倍增层参数的优化模拟

应用ATLAS模拟软件,设计了吸收层和倍增层分离的（SAM）4H-SiC 雪崩光电探测器（APD）结构。分析了不同外延层厚度和掺杂浓度对器件光谱响应的影响,对倍增层参数进行优化模拟,得出倍增层的最优化厚度为0.26μm,掺杂浓度为9.0×1017cm^-3。模拟分析了APD的反向IV特性、光增益、不同偏压下的光谱响应和探测率等,结果显示该APD在较低的击穿电压66.4V下可获得较高的倍增因子105;在0V偏压下峰值响应波长（250nm）处的响应度为0.11A/W,相应的量子效率为58%;临近击穿电压时,紫外可见比仍可达1.5×103;其归一化探测率最大可达1.5×1016cmHz ^1/2 W^-1。结果显示该APD具有较好的紫外探测性能。     

1.55-μm polarization-insensitive optical amplifier withstrain-balanced superlattice active layer

A polarization insensitive (sensitivity <1 dB) GaInAs-GaInAsP semiconductor optical amplifier has been realized at 1.55 μm. The active layer consists of a strain-balanced superlattice structure. Gain polarization insensitivity on a large bandwidth (60 nm) together with a 22.5-dB signal gain and a 11-dBm polarization-insensitive saturation output power are obtained     

InGaAsP/InAlAs superlattice avalanche photodiode

The fabrication of an InGaAsP-InAlAs superlattice avalanche photodiode using a gas source molecular beam epitaxy is discussed. A quaternal alloy of InGaAsP was used for the well layers in order to suppress the dark current due to the tunneling effect. With this structure, the valance band discontinuity almost vanishes and a gain bandwidth of 110 GHz was obtained     

New type InGaAs/InP heterostructure avalanche photodiode with buffer layer

A new type heterostructure avalanche photodiode (HAPD) is proposed and successfully fabricated by liquid phase epitaxy and Zn-diffusion. The HAPD has been made from a successively grown wafer which consists of In0.53Ga0.47As light absorption layer, InGaAsP buffer layers and InP avalanche multiplication layer on n-InP substrate. Dark current density of 1 × 10^-4Acm^-2at 0.9 VBis achieved. When illuminating with 1.15 µm light, the diode has a maximum multiplication gain of 880 and an external quantum efficiency of 40%. The quantum efficiency is markedly improved than that of previously reported HAPD.     

All-binary InAs/GaAs optical waveguide phase modulator at 1.06μm

We demonstrate the use of multiple [(InAs) (GaAs)]/GaAs short-period strained-layer superlattice quantum wells for optical waveguide modulation at 1.06 μm. We achieve π phase modulation with 2.3 V applied (V_π×L=4.6 V mm, or 39°/V mm) in the presence of negligible absorption change using this all-binary modulator     

Design and analysis of separate-absorption-transport-charge-multiplication traveling-wave avalanche photodetectors

This paper proposes a novel type of avalanche photodiode-the separate-absorption-transport-charge-multiplication (SATCM) avalanche photodiode (APD). The novel design of photoabsorption and multiplication layers of APDs can avoid the photoabsorption layer breakdown and hole-transport problems, exhibit low operation voltage, and achieve ultra-high-gain bandwidth product performances. To achieve low excess noise and ultra-high-speed performance in the fiber communication regime (1.3/spl sim/1.55 /spl mu/m), the simulated APD is Si-based with an SiGe-Si superlattice (SL) as the photoabsorption layer and traveling-wave geometric structures. The frequency response is simulated by means of a photo-distributed current model, which includes all the bandwidth-limiting factors, such as the dispersion of microwave propagation loss, velocity mismatch, boundary reflection, and multiplication/transport of photogenerated carriers. By properly choosing the thicknesses of the transport and multiplication layers, microwave propagation effects in the traveling-wave structure can be minimized without increasing the operation voltage significantly. A near 30-Gb/s electrical bandwidth and 10/spl times/ avalanche gain can be achieved simultaneously, even with a long device absorption length (150 /spl mu/m) and low operation voltage (/spl sim/12 V). In addition, the ultrahigh output saturation power bandwidth product of this simulated TWAPD structure can also be expected due to the large photoabsorption volume and superior microwave-guiding structure.     

Two-mode InGaSb/GaSb strained-layer superlattice infraredphotodetector

An interesting two-mode photodetector was constructed using an In _0.19Ga_0.81Sb/GaSb strained-layer superlattice (SLS). Such a structure is, at the same time, of type I for heavy hole and type II for light hole. The mini-subbands of this In_0.19Ga_0.81Sb/GaSb SLS are calculated using the modified Kronig-Penney model, as a function of well width at 300 K. A ten-period In_0.19Ga_0.81Sb/GaSb SLS structure can be applied as a two-mode photodetector with near-zero and reverse bias. This phenomenon can be proved by the spectral response of the structure grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The wavelengths of dominant absorption peaks are 1.92 and 1.77 μm at near-zero and reverse bias, respectively. The experimental data are in good agreement with the theoretical deductions     

Avalanche multiplication characteristics ofAl0.8Ga0.2As diodes

The avalanche multiplication characteristics of Al_0.8Ga _0.2As have been investigated in a series of p-i-n and n-i-p diodes with i-region widths, w, varying from 1 μm to 0.025 μm. The electron ionization coefficient, α, is found to be consistently higher than the hole ionization coefficient, β, over the entire range of electric fields investigated. By contrast with Al_xGa _1-xAs (x⩽0.6) a significant difference between the electron and hole initiated multiplication characteristics of very thin Al_0.8Ga_0.2As diodes (w=0.025 μm) was observed. Dead space effects in the diodes with w⩽0.1 μm were found to reduce the multiplication at low bias below the values predicted from bulk ionization coefficients. Effective α and β that are independent of w have been deduced from measurements and are able to reproduce accurately the multiplication characteristics of diodes with w⩾0.1 μm and breakdown voltages of all diodes with good accuracy. By performing a simple correction for the dead space, the multiplication characteristics of even thinner diodes were also predicted with reasonable accuracy