Highly reliable high performance waveguide-integrated InP/InGaAs pin photodiodes for 40 Gbit/s fibre-optical communication application

Waveguide-integrated pin photodiodes (WGpinPDs) planar-embedded by a semi-insulating (SI) InP buried layer exhibit very stable dark current characteristics after aging tests for over 8000 h at 175°C with a bias voltage of -10 V. A wear-out failure rate of much less than 1 failure in time (FIT) after 25 years of operation at 40°C was primarily estimated. Stable operation for over 5000 h were also confirmed under high power optical input aging test at an atmosphere temperature of 85°C. For the optical receiver module using the WGpinPD and a GaAs pHEMT travelling wave amplifier (TWA), a recorded minimum received power of -11.2 dBm at 40 Gbit/s was obtained for the first time.