Photodetectors

Convert light signals to a voltage or current. The absorption of photons creates electron hole pairs. Electrons in the CB and holes in the VB. Planar diffusion diode is a basic junction photodiode. p  n type junction describes a heavily doped p-type A material(acceptors) that is much greater than a lightly doped n-type material (donor) that it is embedded into. Illumination window with an annular electrode for photon passage. Anti-reflection coating ( Si3 N 4 ) reduces reflections.

Photodetectors
The p side is on the order of less than a micron thick (formed by planar diffusion into n-type epitaxial layer). A space charge distribution occurs about the junction within the depletion layer. The depletion region extends predominantly into the lightly doped n region ( up to 3 microns max) Electrodes in the diagram are the external contacts. The degree to which photons penetrate through the layers is dependant upon radiation wavelength.


Photodetectors
Short wavelengths (ex. UV) are absorbed at the surface. Longer wavelengths (IR) will penetrate into the depletion layer. What would be a fundamental criteria for a photodiode with a wide spectral response? A thin p-layer and a thick n layer. What does thickness of the depletion layer determine (along with reverse bias)? Diode capacitance. What does component capacitance dictate to? Response time.

Photodetectors
Lower doping levels cause depletion region to become thicker which in turn reduces diode capacitance. PIN photodiode implements this concept by insertion of a thick, high Z low doped n-type layer (middle layer) between the p and n layers of the original model. The middle layer is called the intrinsic layer or I-layer. A moderate quantity of reverse bias can extend the depletion layer to the bottom of the I-layer. Result: 1. Faster response time. 2. Improved (wider) spectral response.

Photodetectors
Refer to figure 5.1 Condition: Assume a reverse bias condition (Vr) applied to the device. The depletion layer presents a high resistance under this condition and a voltage of Vr + Vo is developed across W. (Vo is a built in voltage). An E field develops in the depletion region and can be determined by integration of the net space charge density pnet. The field is not uniform. It is maximum at the junction and tapers into the n region.

Photodetectors
Regions outside the depletion region (neutral regions) hold majority carriers. These neutral regions can be considered resistive extensions of electrodes to the depletion region. Condition: A photon with an energy greater than bandgap ( E g ) is incident. Result: photon is absorbed and generates (photogenerates) a free EHP typically in the depletion layer (electron in CB and hole in VB).

Photodetectors
The E field separates the electron and hole and causes them to drift in opposite directions until they reach neutral regions. The drifting carriers generate a photocurrent in the external circuit developing an electrical signal. The photocurrent exist for a time frame equal to the time it takes for the electron and hole to cross the depletion layer (W) and arrive at the neutral region. The magnitude of the photocurrent ( ) is dependant on I ph the number of EHPs generated and the drift velocities of the carriers while moving across the depletion layer.

Photodetectors
Note: the absorption of photons occurs over a distance that is dependant on wavelength. Remembering that the distribution of the field is not uniform tells us that determining the time dependence of the photocurrent signal is difficult. The resultant photocurrent is a result of electron flow only not hole migration. Integrating the hole current to calculate the Q charge will show that the total photogenerated electrons is eN (electrons) and not2eN (electrons and holes).

Vr (a) Electrode

SiO 2 p+ h+ e

R Iph

Vout

hY> Eg

E
Antireflection coating W (b) Electrode Depletion region

Vnet
eNd x

eNa (c)

E (x)
x

E max

(a) A schematic diagram of a reverse biased pn junction photodiode. (b) Net space charge across the diode in the depletion region. N d and N a are the donor and acceptor concentrations in the p and n sides. (c). The field in the depletion region.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

V iph (t) 0 evh /L Charge =e te th l 0

(b) (d)

Semiconductor

evh /L + eve /L iph (t)

(a)

E
vh

h+

ve

Ll l L x e te te th

t 0

ev h/L

ev e /L i(t) ie(t) ih (t)

(c)

h+

th t t

(a) An EHP is photogenerated at x = l. The electron and the hole drift in opposite directions with drift velocities vh and v e. (b) The electron arrives at time t e = (L  l)/ve and the hole arrives at time t h = l/v h . (c) As the electron and hole drift, each generates an external photocurrent shown as i e(t) and ih(t). (d) The total photocurrent is the sum of hole and electron photocurrents each lasting a duration t h and te respectively.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

Photon energy (e )
5 4 3 2 1 0.9 0.8 0.7

1v108

Ge 1v107 i 1v106
E (m-1)

In0.7Ga0.3As0.64P0.36 In0.53Ga0.47As GaAs InP

1v105 a- i: 1v104

1v103
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

Wavelength (Qm) Absorption coe icient (E) vs. avelength (P) or various semiconductors ( ata selectively collected and combined rom various sources.) Figure 5.3

E
CB

Ec
Direct Bandgap

CB

Indirect Bandgap, Eg

Eg

Photon Photon
VB VB

Ec Ev
Phonon

Ev

(a) GaAs (Direct bandgap)

(b) Si (Indirect bandgap)

(a) Photon absorption in a direct bandgap semiconductor. (b) Photon absorption in an indirect bandgap semiconductor (VB, valence band; CB, conduction band)
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

Res 0. 0. 0.7 0. 0. 0.4 0.3 0. 0. 0

si it ( / )

I eal

t i e 00% ( L )

Pg
i t i e

00 400 00 00 000 a ele t ( )

00

Res c

si it (R) s. a ele t (P) f r a i eal t i e it 00% (L ) a f r a t ical ercial i t i e.

. . asa , Opt electronics ( re tice all)

SiO2 Electrode p+

Electrode

i-Si (a)

n+

V n et eNd (b) x

eNa E(x) (c) Eo W hY> Eg (d) E h+ e

Ip h

Vout

Vr

The schematic structure of an idealized pin photodiode (b) The net space charge density across the photodiode. (c) The built-in field across the diode. (d) The pin photodiode in photodetection is reverse biased.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

Drift velocity (m s -1 ) 1 5 Electron 1 4 Hole

1 3

1 2 1 4 1 6 1 5 Electric field (V m -1 ) 1 7

Drift velocity vs. electric field for holes and electrons in Si.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

p+ hY> Eg
Diffu ion e

i-Si E
Drif

h+

Vr

A reverse biased pin photodiode is illu inated with a short wavelength photon that is absorbed very near the surface. The photogenerated electron has to diffuse to the depletion region where it is swept into the i-layer and drifted across.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)

lectrode

Si

Ip h
2

E(x) (c) x Absorption region Avalanche region

(a) A schematic ill stration of the str ct re of an avalanche photodiode (APD) biased for avalanche gain. (b) he net space harge density across the photodiode. (c) he field across the diode and the identification of absorption and m ltiplication regions.
1999 S. . asap, Optoelectronics (Prentice all)

n+ p Vn et

hY > E

E e h+ p+ (a)

lectrode

(b) x

E
h+

E
e

e Ec Ev
h+

n+

p
Avala c e re i

( )

( )

r cesses releasi sa (a) A ict rial vie f i act i izati t e res lti avala c e lti licati . ( ) I act f a e er etic c cti electr it cr stal vi rati s tra sfers t e electr 's i etic e er t a vale ce electr a t ere e cites it t t e cti a . c
. . asa , Optoelectronics ( re tice all)

l t A ti n+ p G l ti i A l ti n breakdown n+ p n Si

(a)
p
+

(b)
p+ Subst t l t Subst t l t

(a) A Si A structure wit out a uard ring. (b) A schematic illustration of the structure of a more ractical Si A
S. . asap, Opt l t ni (Prentice all)

Ele tro e

InP

InP

hY

EE

P+

E(x)

Avalanche re ion

Simplified schematic diagram of a separate absorption and multiplication (SAM) AP using a heterostructure based on InGaAs-InP. P and N refer to p and n -type ider-bandgap semiconductor.
S. . asap, Optoelect onics (Prentice all)

Ip h R InGaAs
out

h+

n+ Absorption re ion x

Ec

e Ev (E v

h+

InP (b) Ev InGaAsP grading layer InGaAs h+ Ev

S. . asap, Optoelect onics (Prentice all)

(a)

InP

Ec InGaAs Ev

(a) Energy band diagram for a here SAM heterojunction AP there is a valence band step ( Ev from InGaAs to InP that slows hole entry into the InP layer.

(b) An interposing grading layer (InGaAsP) with an intermediate bandgap breaks ( Ev and makes it easier for the hole to pass to the InP layer

Photon

Electrode nIn0 . a0.

s ( - 0Qm) bsorption laye

raded n InGaAsP (< Qm)

Electrode P+InP Substrate NInP ( - Qm) Multiplication layer. P+InP ( - Qm) Buffer epitaxial layer

Simplified schematic diagram of a more practical mesa-etched SAGM layered AP .

S. . asap, Opt l t ni (Prentice all)

1 2 nm (E c Ec p+ Ev Eg 1 n+ Eg 2

hY

h+

( )

( )

Energy band diagram of a staircase s perlattice PD (a) No bias. (b) With an applied bias.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)