Excess Noise Characteristics of Thin AlAsSb APDs

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 1475 - 1479
• Main Authors: Jingjing Xie, Shiyu Xie, Tozer, R. C., Chee Hing Tan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.05.2012; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: AlAsSb SAM avalanche photodiode (APD); Applied sciences; Avalanche photodiodes; Dark current; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; excess noise; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Noise; Noise measurement; Optoelectronic devices; Photoconductivity; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Noise figure; Binary compound; Low noise circuit; Ionization coefficient; Electron injection; Noise factor; AlAsSb SAM avalanche photodiode (APD); III-V compound; Indium phosphide; excess noise; Avalanche photodiodes; Optoelectronic device; Gain; Charge carrier injection
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/TED.2012.2187211

Characterization of AlAsSb avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with avalanche region widths w of 80 and 230 nm showed that electron ionization coefficient is slightly higher than that for hole. The avalanche gain at a given bias is marginally higher under pure electron injection, achieved using 442-nm laser, compared to those measured under mixed carrier injections using 542- and 633-nm lasers. Low-excess-noise factors were measured, corresponding to the lines of k = 0.1, k = 0.15, and k = 0.21, where k is the effective ionization coefficient ratio, for the APDs with w = 80 nm. Under the same carrier injection conditions, the APDs with w = 230 nm exhibit even lower noise corresponding to k = 0.05, k = 0.12, and k = 0.17. The lowest excess noise achieved, with k = 0.05, is significantly lower than those obtained in InP and InAlAs APDs with the same w .