An Improved Design for Solar-Blind AlGaN Avalanche Photodiodes

Qing Cai; Mei Ge; Junjun Xue; Liqun Hu; Dunjun Chen; Hai Lu; Rong Zhang; Youdou Zheng

doi:10.1109/JPHOT.2017.2725305

IEEE Photonics Journal (Jan 2017)

An Improved Design for Solar-Blind AlGaN Avalanche Photodiodes

Qing Cai,
Mei Ge,
Junjun Xue,
Liqun Hu,
Dunjun Chen,
Hai Lu,
Rong Zhang,
Youdou Zheng

Affiliations

Qing Cai: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Mei Ge: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Junjun Xue: School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
Liqun Hu: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Dunjun Chen: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Hai Lu: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Rong Zhang: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Youdou Zheng: Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOT.2017.2725305
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 4
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

Read online

To enhance the impact ionization coefficient of holes, we proposed an improved solar-blind AlGaN avalanche photodiode (APD) structure by using a low-Al-composition AlGaN multiplication layer and a filter based on periodic photonic crystal together with a composition graded interlayer between separate absorption and multiplication regions. The simulation results show that the improved APD presents a lower breakdown voltage and dark current, and a higher optical gain when compared to its conventional counterpart. Further, we found that the composition graded interlayer can modify profitably energy-band profile of heterostructure interfaces besides adjusting the electric field distribution, which is beneficial to the injection of holes from the absorption region to multiplication region. Therefore, we optimized the doping concentration and thickness of the interlayer, and analyzed the effects of these parameters on the APD performances.

Published in IEEE Photonics Journal

ISSN: 1943-0655 (Online)
Publisher: IEEE
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General): Applied optics. Photonics; Science: Physics: Optics. Light
Website: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=4563994

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords