Numerical simulation of avalanche breakdown within InP-InGaAs SAGCM standoff avalanche photodiodes

Author

Haralson, J.N., II ; Parks, J.W. ; Brennan, K.F. ; Clark, W. ; Tarof, L.E.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta, GA, USA

Volume

15

Issue

11

fYear

1997

fDate

11/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2137

Lastpage

2140

Abstract

The breakdown location within a planar InP/In_0.53Ga_0.47As (InGaAs) separate absorption, grading, charge sheet, and multiplication (SAGCM) avalanche photodiode (APD), using the standoff breakdown suppression design to replace guard rings, depends on the two-dimensional (2-D) geometry of the Zn diffused well. Since the geometry of this p⁺ diffusion is dependent upon the surface etch, the effects of varying the etch depth (t_standoff) and length of the sloped etch edge (w_slope) are studied using a two-dimensional drift-diffusion simulator. It is determined that the etch depth brackets a region where center breakdown dominance is possible. To ensure center breakdown within this region it is concluded that there is a maximum value that the slope of the etch walls must not exceed

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; avalanche breakdown; avalanche photodiodes; etching; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; optical repeaters; InP-In_0.53Ga_0.47As; InP-InGaAs SAGCM standoff avalanche photodiodes; InP-InGaAs:Zn; Zn diffused well; avalanche breakdown; center breakdown dominance; etch depth; etch walls; numerical simulation; p⁺ diffusion; planar InP/In_0.53Ga_0.47As separate absorption grading charge sheet multiplication APD; sloped etch edge; standoff breakdown suppression design; surface etch; two-dimensional drift-diffusion simulator; two-dimensional geometry; Absorption; Avalanche breakdown; Avalanche photodiodes; Electric breakdown; Etching; Geometry; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Numerical simulation; Two dimensional displays;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/50.641534

Filename

641534