AlxGa1−xN Ultraviolet Avalanche Photodiodes Grown on GaN Substrates

Al_xGa_1-xN (x=0.05) ultraviolet (UV) avalanche photodiodes grown on a GaN substrate are reported. The epitaxial structure was grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on a free-standing bulk GaN substrate having low dislocation density. The growth conditions for Al_xGa_1-xN epitaxial layers on GaN substrates were optimized to achieve improved crystalline and structural quality. With UV illumination at lambda~250 nm, devices with mesa diameters of ~30 mum achieve stable maximum optical gains of ~50 at a reverse bias voltage of ~87 V.