Monolithically integrated InP-based front-end photoreceivers

The performance characteristics of a monolithically integrated front-end photoreceiver, consisting of a photodiode and a MODFET amplifier, were analyzed and measured. A vertical scheme of integration was initially used to realize a photoreceiver circuit on InP consisting of an InGaAs p-i-n diode, an InGaAs/InAlAs pseudomorphic MODFET, and passive circuit elements. The device structures were grown by single-step molecular beam epitaxy with an isolating layer in between. The microwave performance of 1-μm-gate MODFETs in the circuit is characterized by f_T=9 GHz, although identical discrete devices have f_T=30-35 GHz. The degradation is due to additional parasitic capacitances present in this integration scheme. In spite of this disadvantage the bandwidth of the circuit is 2.1 GHz. Integration of the p-i-n diode with 1.0- and 0.25-μm-gate MODFETs has also been done in a planar scheme using regrowth, and receiver bandwidths of 6.5 GHz were measured. This value is comparable to that of hybrid circuits with InP-based devices