For high-bit rate and long-haul receivers in optical telecommunication systems the avalanche photodiodes are preferred since they offer an improvement of the receiver sensitivity by several decibels. Recently critical sensing and imaging applications stimulated development of modified avalanche photodiodes structures operating in 1.55 μm spectral range. For these devices speed is not further critical. Instead, very low current densities and low multiplication noises are the main requirements. The most advanced structure of avalanche photodiodes is known as Separate Absorption, Grading, Charge and Multiplication (SAGCM). In the present work the performance of uncooled InGaAs/InAlAs/InP avalanche photodiodes operating near 1.55 μm has been studied theoretically. Device modeling based on advanced drift - diffusion model with commercial Crosslight APSYS software has been performed. Conventional SAGCM avalanche photodiodes as well as devices with a relatively thick undepleted p-type InGaAs absorption region and thin InAlAs multiplication layer have been considered. This type of avalanche photodiodes enables to increase device quantum efficiency, reduce dark current and eliminate impact ionization processes within absorbing layer. Extensive calculations allowed for detailed analysis of individual regions of the device and determination of their influence on diode characteristics.

Date Published: 18 December 2012
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 8697, 18th Czech-Polish-Slovak Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, 869721 (18 December 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.2007245

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8697:
18th Czech-Polish-Slovak Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics
Jan Peřina Jr.; Libor Nozka; Miroslav Hrabovský; Dagmar Senderáková; Waclaw Urbańczyk; Ondrej Haderka; Libor Nožka, Editor(s)