Equivalent Circuit Modeling of Separate Absorption Grading Charge Multiplication Avalanche Photodiode

In this paper, a novel equivalent circuit model for the frequency performance of separate absorption grading charge multiplication (SAGCM) avalanche photodiode (APD) is developed. This model includes effects of carrier transit time, avalanche buildup time, and parasitic RC elements. Based on the equivalent circuit model, frequency and bandwidth characteristics of SAGCM APD can be simulated in advance to device fabrication, and the simulation results are in good agreement with experimental data. Conventional pin photodiodes can also be simulated as a special case when M=1. In addition, the frequency response of SAGCM APDs and pin photodiodes with different illumination directions are investigated.     

Avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption and multiplication regions grown by metalorganic vapor deposition

InP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption and multiplication regions (SAM APD's) have been fabricated from wafers grown by atmospheric-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. These APD's exhibit low dark current and good quantum efficiency. The pulse response exhibits the two-component response typical of the SAM-APD structure. The slow component is 6 ns and the fast component is 100 ps.     

InGaAs/InP盖革模式雪崩焦平面阵列的研制

设计制作了一种由InGaAs/InP雪崩光电二极管阵列与时间计数型CMOS读出电路组成的8×8阵列规格盖革模式雪崩焦平面阵列(GM APD FPA).雪崩光电二极管采用SAGCM结构,在盖革模式下工作具有单光子探测灵敏度;时间计数型CMOS读出电路在每个单元获取光子飞行时间,实现纳秒级的时间分辨率,并完成雪崩淬灭功能.测试结果表明,倒装混合集成的GM APD FPA器件暗计数率(DCR)均值为32.5 kHz,单光子探测效率(PDE)均值为19.5％,单元时间抖动为465 ps,实现了光脉冲时间信息的探测,验证了盖革模式雪崩焦平面阵列技术及其在三维成像中应用的可行性.     

Avalanche buildup time of InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading, and multiplication regions

The avalanche buildup time of an avalanche photodiode can be determined from the frequency response of the noise power as a function of the dc multiplication M0. In this paper we report on the first measurements of the avalanche buildup time of InP/InGaAsP/ InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading, and multiplication regions (SAGM-APD's). Measurements on several different device structures reveal that the avalanche buildup time (gain-bandwidth product) decreases (increases) with increasing carrier concentration in the multiplication region. The shortest buildup time that we have observed wasM_{0} times 4.2ps which corresponds to a gain-bandwidth Product of 38 GHz.     

InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading and multiplication regions grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition

InGaAs/InGaAsP/InP avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, `grading? and multiplication regions (SAGMAPDs) have been fabricated for the first tune from wafers grown by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) These APDs exhibit low dark current (? 32 nA at 90% breakdown) and high-speed pulse response (? 100 ps FWHM).     

InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes grown by chemical beam epitaxy

InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading, and multiplication regions (SAGM-APD's) have been fabricated from wafers grown by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). These APD's exhibit low dark current (<25 nA at 90 percent of breakdown), low capacitance (≈0.2 pF), and good responsivity (0.75 A/ W at 1.3 µm). The pulse response, which is relatively independent of avalanche gain, is characterized by rise and fall times of approximately 1.4 ns.     

Frequency response and modeling of resonant-cavity separateabsorption, charge, and multiplication avalanche photodiodes

A theoretical model incorporating the mechanism of resonant absorption of the multiple reflected lightwaves is presented for the frequency response of resonant-cavity (RC) separate absorption, charge, and multiplication (SACM) avalanche photodiodes (APDs). The derived theoretical expressions are general and can be readily applied to many other RC and non-RC APDs. These analytical expressions also allow for fast computation of the frequency response and bandwidth characteristics. Combining this frequency response theory with expressions of multiplication gain and ionization coefficients, an efficient approach is proposed for modeling the general performance characteristics of RC APDs. The modeling approach is applied to an InGaAs-AlGaAs RC SACM APD. The computed results are demonstrated, and the results of -3 dB bandwidth are comparable to experimental work. The validity of the modeling parameters is also discussed. It is further found that the normalized frequency response is unaffected when the value of the absorption coefficient is changed, suggesting that the standing-wave effect within the RC structure may not influence the bandwidth characteristics     

A simplified approach to time-domain modeling of avalanchephotodiodes

A simplified algorithm for calculating time response of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) is presented. The algorithm considers the time course of avalanche processes for the general case of position-dependent double-carrier multiplications including the dead space effect. The algorithm is based on a discrete time setting ideally suited for computer modeling and can be applied to any APD structure. It gives a fast and accurate estimation of the time and frequency response of APDs. As an example, the present method is applied to InP-InGaAs separate absorption, grading, charge, and multiplication (SAGCM) APDs. The variation of multiplication pain with bias voltage and 3-dB electrical bandwidth at different multiplication gain obtained using the new algorithm show good agreement with experimental results. The algorithm can be used to study temperature dependence of APD characteristics and can be easily extended to calculate the excess noise factor     

To the Problem of Optimization of Parameters of a Double Heterostructure Based on Direct-Gap Semiconductors for Avalanche Photodiodes

A double heterostructure based on direct-gap semiconductors with a photoabsorption middle layer at the avalanche breakdown voltage is considered. Such structures are used in the development of avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption and multiplication regions (APD with SAMR). It is shown that impact generation of electron–hole pairs should be considered in calculating the maximum possible characteristics of APDs with SAMR even in the absorption layer; therewith, this can be performed analytically.

     

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     

High-frequency properties of avalanche multiplication of photocarriers in structures with negative feedback

The high-frequency characteristics of photosensitive avalanche Si-SiC structures were studied. It is shown that their high-speed operation is substantially superior to that of silicon avalanche photodiodes. A theoretical analysis of the high-frequency properties of avalanche photodiodes is carried out and analytical expressions for the gain-bandwidth product are obtained. It is shown that this product is not a universal parameter for a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure with a negative feedback, since, for high amplification factors, the effective value of the relation of the impact-ionization coefficients for different types of charge carriers in such structures turns out to be significantly different from that in avalanche photodiodes.     

Detrimental effect of impact ionization in the absorption region on the frequency response and excess noise performance of InGaAs-InAlAs SACM avalanche photodiodes

It is shown that optimization of the electric field profile in the absorption region of separate absorption, charge, and multiplication InGaAs-InAlAs avalanche photodiodes is critical to achieve low excess noise and high gain bandwidth product.     

Characteristics of germanium avalanche photodiodes in the wavelength region of 1-1.6 µm

Dark current, quantum efficiency, multiplication noise, and pulse response of germanium avalanche photodiodes with n+-p junction were studied to find an optimum structure. The dark current can be separated by graphical means into a leakage current component and a multiplied component which flows through the junction. The dark current components are also evaluated by using diodes with various diameters. The quantum efficiency and the multiplication noise are shown to be strongly affected by the n+ layer thickness. An n+ layer thickness optimized for signal-to-noise ratio is estimated from experimental and calculated results, using a figure of merit for avalanche photodiodes. The response waveform for mode-locked Nd:YAG laser shows a rise time of 100 ps and a half pulsewidth of less than 200 ps.     

Quasi-direct UV/blue GaP avalanche photodetectors

GaP avalanche photodiodes, with thin device layers have been processed, utilizing both p-i-n and recessed window p-i-n structures, as well as a Schottky structure. The results showed low dark currents, good quantum efficiency (QE), and high gains up to 10/sup 3/, with good uniformity across the wafer. The peak QE at 440 nm indicated /spl Gamma/-valley absorption, rather than band-edge absorption. The recess window photodiodes exhibited enhanced UV detection as a result of reduced absorption and recombination in the undepleted p-layer. Additionally, the Schottky structure demonstrated potential for further enhanced UV detection, by employing a thin semitransparent contact.     

III-V compound semiconductor devices: Optical detectors

This article presents a review of the historical developments in optical detectors and discusses the motivations for interest in III-V semiconductors for optical-detector applications. Early device work in both depletion-mode photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes in III-V semiconductors is covered as well as the improvements that have been made in avalanche photodiode structures through work in silicon. Also, the results of ionization coefficient measurements on III-V compounds are summarized. Finally, several examples of recent avalanche photodiodes that utlilize the unique properties of heterostructures are presented.     

III-V alloy heterostructure high speed avalanche photodiodes

Heterostructure avalanche photodiodes have been successfully fabricated in several III-V alloy systems: GaAlAs/GaAs, GaAlSb/GaSb, GaAlAsSb/GaAlSb, and InGaAsP/InP. These diodes cover optical wavelengths from0.4 to 1.8 mum. Early stages of development show very encouraging results. High speed response of <35 ps and high quantum efficiency >95 percent have been obtained. The dark currents and the excess avalanche noise will also be discussed. A direct comparison of GaAlSb, GaAlAsSb, and InGaAsP avalanche photodiodes is given.     

Frequency response of InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes

A theoretical model for the frequency response of InP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) is presented. Included in the analysis are resistive, capacitive, and inductive parasitics, transit-time factors, hole trapping at the heterojunction interfaces, and the avalanche buildup time. The contributions of the primary electrons, primary holes, and secondary electrons to the transit-time-limited response are considered separately. Using a measurement apparatus which consists of a frequency synthesizer and a spectrum analyzer controlled by a microcomputer, the frequency response of InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs APDs grown by chemical-beam epitaxy are measured. Good agreement with the calculated response has been obtained over a wide range of gains     

Improved frequency response of InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading and multiplication regions

We report very high-speed operation of InP/InGaAsP/InGaAs avalanche photodiodes with separate absorption, grading and multiplication regions (SAGM-APDs). For low multiplication values (M0?7) the bandwidth of these APDs is relatively insensitive to the gain and is determined by the hole transit time and the RC time constant. In this gain region bandwidths as high as 5.5 GHz have been achieved. For higher multiplication values the frequency response exhibits a constant gain-bandwidth product. We have observed gain-bandwidth products as high as 40 GHz, the highest value reported to date for a device of this type.     

Power penalty due to decision-time jitter in receivers using avalanche photodiodes

Power penalties on receiver sensitivity due to the presence of timing jitter are derived for receivers incorporated with PIN detectors and with avalanche photodiodes. It is shown that the presence of timing jitter will lower the optical gain of the avalanche photodiodes and will reduce the improvement in receiver sensitivity of using avalanche photodiodes over PIN detectors. Using computer simulation on results of transmission experiments it is shown that the receiver sensitivity can be degraded by several decibels owing to the presence of timing jitter in the Anritsu pulse pattern generator and/or error detector.     

Sensitivity penalty calculation for burst-mode receivers using avalanche photodiodes

This paper presents the sensitivity penalty for burst-mode receivers using avalanche photodiodes. The analysis takes into account detailed avalanche photodiode statistics, additive Gaussian noise, intersymbol interference and dc offsets in the receiver channel. The penalty has been calculated via comparison of bit-error rates (BERs), obtained using numerical integration, both in continuous- and burst-mode operation. Sensitivity penalties for burst-mode operation as a function of the mean avalanche gain are presented. The Gaussian approximation systematically underestimates the burst-mode penalty. It is shown that the penalty depends upon both the type of avalanche photodiode (APD) and the required BER. Optimum avalanche gains maximizing the sensitivity of the receiver are given. The influence of dc-offsets upon the sensitivity is studied. Furthermore, it is shown that the impulse response of the filters used to extract the decision threshold profoundly impacts the receiver performance. Finally, some important guidelines for the design of high sensitivity and wide dynamic range burst-mode receivers are given.