GaAs/AlGaAs resonant tunneling diodes with a GaInNAs absorption layer for telecommunication light sensing

Abstract

Al0.6Ga0.4As/GaAs/Al0.6Ga0.4As double-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes (RTD) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy with a nearby, lattice-matched Ga0.89In0.11N0.04As0.96 absorption layer. RTD mesas with ring contacts and an aperture for optical excitation of charge carriers were fabricated on the epitaxial layers. Electrical and optical properties of the RTDs were investigated for different thicknesses of a thin GaAs spacer layer incorporated between the AlGaAs tunnel barrier adjacent to the GaInNAs absorption layer. Illumination of the RTDs with laser light of 1.3 μm wavelength leads to a pronounced photo-effect with a sensitivities of around 103 A/W.

Cavity-enhanced resonant tunneling photodetector at telecommunication wavelengths

“…[9][10][11][12] Recently, we presented a GaAs/AlGaAs resonant tunneling diode (RTD) with GaInNAs absorption layer for telecommunication light sensing with a sensitivity of 10 3 A/W, with the RTD serving as internal amplifier of weak electric signals, caused by photo-excited charge carriers. 13 RTDs with embedded quantum dots have even been demonstrated as single photon detectors for visible and near infrared wavelengths at cryogenic temperatures. [14][15][16][17] In the biased RTD photo-excited electron hole pairs become locally separated by the applied field, which causes a variation of the internal field and hence the transmission properties of the RTD are altered.…”

“…The buffer layer between the RTD double barrier and the absorption layer is essential because of defect reduction. 13 Additionally, the growth temperature was reduced from 570 C (GaAs and AlAs) to 370 C (for GaInNAs). The quaternary GaInNAs absorption layer has a thickness of k/2 ($160 nm) and is n-doped with increasing doping concentration from n ¼ 1 Â 10 17 to 1 Â 10 18 cm À3 .…”

Temperature tuning from direct to inverted bistable electroluminescence in resonant tunneling diodes

“…As pointed out previously, this is only achieved by commonly undesired RTD figure-of-merits: large resonant voltages (to account for impact ionization processes to occur) and moderate peak-to-valley current ratios (to account for the higher impact ionization rate for the valley region). Combining the functionalities of the device being a light emitter and light sensor within the same bias voltage range 22 ELu < 1 occurs would be available for higher incoming electron energies, i.e higher resonance voltages. These conditions can be experimentally attained in our RTD and will be described in the next section.…”

“…The growth process is finalized by a 154 nm thick GaInNAs layer with 1 · 10 17 cm −3 and by an extended GaAs collector region with a thickness of 556 nm and doping concentration 1 · 10 18 cm −3 . The GaInNAs layer is grown latticed matched to GaAs with a bandgap energy of E g = 0.95 eV which enables the RTD to be operated as sensitive photo-detector for telecommunication wavelengths 22,23 . Additionally, it ensures a linear tuning of the resonance voltage with temperature over a broad temperature range 4 mesa with diameter d = 5 µm, recorded at T = 300 K, is plotted in Fig.…”

Nanothermometer Based on Resonant Tunneling Diodes: From Cryogenic to Room Temperatures

“…The N and In contents, x = 11 % and y = 4 %, ensure a lattice-matched growth to GaAs with a band gap energy of E g = 0.95 eV. 15 The corresponding conduction band offset of the GaInNAs/GaAs interface is ≈ 0.38 eV. Finally, a 500 nm thick n-doped GaAs drain contact layer was grown on top.…”