Failure analysis of travelling wave MSM distributed photodetectors

Author

Nespola, A. ; Chau, T. ; Pirola, M. ; Wu, M.C. ; Ghione, G. ; Naldi, C.U.

Author_Institution

Dipt. di Elettronica, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

fYear

1998

fDate

6-9 Dec. 1998

Firstpage

669

Lastpage

672

Abstract

High-power, velocity-matched distributed photodetectors (VMDP) operating at 1.3 and 1.55 /spl mu/m are viable candidates for optical microwave links and optical heterodyne detection due to their wide modulation bandwidth, high efficiency and high peak saturation photocurrent. The aim of the paper is to investigate the failure mechanism of VMDPs through a physics-based, steady-state quasi-3D coupled electro-thermal model including the combined effect of device heating and avalanche breakdown.

Keywords

heterodyne detection; metal-semiconductor-metal structures; microwave photonics; optical fibre communication; optical receivers; photodetectors; photodiodes; 1.3 micrometre; 1.55 micrometre; avalanche breakdown; device heating; efficiency; failure mechanism; modulation bandwidth; optical heterodyne detection; optical microwave links; peak saturation photocurrent; steady-state quasi-3D coupled electro-thermal model; travelling wave MSM distributed photodetectors; velocity-matched distributed photodetectors; Bandwidth; Electromagnetic heating; Failure analysis; Microwave devices; Optical detectors; Optical mixing; Optical modulation; Optical saturation; Photoconductivity; Photodetectors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electron Devices Meeting, 1998. IEDM '98. Technical Digest., International

Conference_Location

San Francisco, CA, USA

ISSN

0163-1918

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4774-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IEDM.1998.746445

Filename

746445