Design and performance analysis of InP-based high-speed andhigh-sensitivity optoelectronic integrated receivers

A novel transimpedance optoelectronic receiver amplifier suitable for monolithic integration is proposed and analyzed by exploiting state-of-the-art high-speed MSM photodiodes and HBT's based on lattice-matched InGaAs-InAlAs heterostructures on InP substrates. The projected performance characteristics of this amplifier indicate a high transimpedance (≈3.6 kΩ), a large bandwidth (17 GHz), and an excellent optical detection sensitivity (-26.8 dBm) at 17 Gb/s for the standard bit-error-rate of 10^-9. The latter corresponds to an input noise spectral density, √(i_in²/B), of 2.29 pA/√(Hz) for the full bandwidth. The bandwidth of the amplifier can be increased to 30 GHz for a reduced transimpedance (0.82 kΩ) and a lower detection sensitivity, i.e., -21 dBm at 30 Gb/s. The amplifier also achieves a detected optical-to-electrical power gain of 21.5 dBm into a 50 Ω load termination. The design utilizes small emitter-area HBT's for the input cascoded-pair stage, followed by a two-step emitter-follower involving one small and one large emitter-area HBT's. The design strategy of using small emitter-area HBT's is matched by a low-capacitance novel series/parallel connected MSM photodiode. This combined approach has yielded this amplifier's combined high performance characteristics which exceed either achieved or projected performances of any receiver amplifier reported to-date. The paper also discusses the issues concerning IC implementation of the receiver, including the means of realizing a high-value feedback resistor