High sensitivity avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating at eye-safe
infrared wavelengths (1400–1650 nm) are essential
components in many communications and sensing systems. We report the
demonstration of a room temperature, ultrahigh gain (
M
=
278
,
λ
=
1550
n
m
,
V
=
69.5
V
,
T
=
296
K
) linear mode APD on an InP substrate
using a
G
a
A
s
0.5
S
b
0.5
/
A
l
0.85
G
a
0.15
A
s
0.56
S
b
0.44
separate absorption, charge, and
multiplication (SACM) heterostructure. This represents
∼
10
×
gain improvement (
M
=
278
) over commercial, state-of-the-art
InGaAs/InP-based APDs (
M
∼
30
) operating at 1550 nm. The
excess noise factor is extremely low (
F
<2022
The impact ionization characteristics of (Al x Ga 1−x ) 0.52 In 0.48 P have been studied comprehensively across the full composition range. Electron and hole impact ionization coefficients (α and β, respectively) have been extracted from avalanche multiplication and excess noise data for seven different compositions and compared to those of Al x Ga 1−x As. While both α and β initially decrease gradually with increasing bandgap, a sharp decrease in β occurs in (Al x Ga 1−x ) 0.52 In 0.48 P when x > 0.61, while α decreases only slightly. α and β decrease minimally with further increases in x and the breakdown voltage saturates. This behavior is broadly similar to that seen in Al x Ga 1−x As, suggesting that it may be related to the details of the conduction band structure as it becomes increasingly indirect in both alloy systems.
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