Full-Band Monte Carlo simulations of GaAs p-i-n Avalanche PhotoDiodes: What Are the Limits of Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models?

Pilotto, A.; Driussi, F.; Esseni, D.; Selmi, L.; Antonelli, M.; Arfelli, Fulvia; Biasiol, G.; Carrato, Sergio; Cautero, G.; Angelis, Dario De; Menk, R.H.; Steinhartova, T.; Palestri, Pierpaolo

doi:10.23919/sispad49475.2020.9241632

Cited by 2 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This paper extends the preliminary investigation reported in [6] by providing many details on the FBMC transport simulator and on the procedure to extract from simulations the impact ionization rates, considering both conventional p-i-n APDs [11] and AlGaAs/GaAs-based superlattices [14], where pseudomorphic heterojunctions are exploited to increase the electron impact ionization probability with respect to the ionization probability of holes to reduce the excess noise factor at a given gain [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…FBMC with injecting boundary conditions and electric field profiles from TCAD [18] (solid lines) is compared with experiments [11] (symbols). curves (see [6] and the calibration of the impact ionization scattering rates in Fig. 17).…”

Section: B Model Validation For Gaas P-i-n Apdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…biased below the breakdown voltage). Impact ionization models range from simple local analytical expressions [1], [2], where experimental impact ionization coefficients (α for electrons and β for holes) are fitted by exponential functions, all the way to Full Band Monte Carlo transport simulators [3], [4], [5], [6]. Alessandro Pilotto was with the Dipartimento Politecnico di Ingegneria e Architettura, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Accurate Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models for Conventional and Staircase Avalanche Photodiodes Derived by Full Band Monte Carlo Transport Simulations

Pilotto

Esseni

Selmi

et al. 2022

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

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We present a procedure to extract the nonlocal impact ionization coefficients in Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) operating in the linear regime from Full Band Monte Carlo simulations. The Monte Carlo calculations have been calibrated on existing experimental data for GaAs p-i-n APDs with different thickness of the intrinsic region. Inspection of impact ionization generation rate in p-i-n and staircase GaAs APDs led us to identify the limitations of existing nonlocal-history dependent impact ionization models. The introduction of an energy dependent relaxation length for the computation of the effective fields significantly improves the model accuracy in predicting the gain and noise associated to conduction and valence band steps in staircase APDs without additional computational burden. This improved nonlocal-history dependent model is thus a powerful tool to design and optimize APDs with different architectures.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: B Model Validation For Gaas P-i-n Apdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Accurate Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models for Conventional and Staircase Avalanche Photodiodes Derived by Full Band Monte Carlo Transport Simulations

Pilotto

Esseni

Selmi

et al. 2022

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

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“…11 (for the dead-space model) and of Eqs 17, 16 (for the model in [25]) needs to be assessed. For that purpose we have developed a Full-Band Monte Carlo (FBMC) simulator and devised a methodology to extract the α(x|x′) and β(x|x′) from the FBMC results for template structures [34]. Figures 7, 8 report sample results for a template structure consisting in a GaAs region with uniform applied electric field.…”

Section: Gain and Noise In Staircase Apdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…FIGURE 7 | Comparison between the α(x|x′) and β(x|x′) profiles extracted from FBMC simulations using the methodology presented in[34] and different NLHD models (see text). The considered structure is a GaAs region of 500 nm width under a uniform electric field F x = 380 kV/cm.…”

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confidence: 99%

Modeling Approaches for Gain, Noise and Time Response of Avalanche Photodiodes for X-Rays Detection

et al. 2022

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We report on a suite of modeling approaches for the optimization of Avalanche Photodiodes for X-rays detection. Gain and excess noise are computed efficiently using a non-local/history dependent model that has been validated against full-band Monte Carlo simulations. The (stochastic) response of the detector to photon pulses is computed using an improved Random-Path-Length algorithm. As case studies, we consider diodes consisting of AlGaAs/GaAs multi-layers with separated absorption and multiplication regions. A superlattice creating a staircase conduction band structure is employed in the multiplication region to keep the multiplication noise low. Gain and excess noise have been measured in devices fabricated with such structure and successfully compared with the developed models.

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Full-Band Monte Carlo simulations of GaAs p-i-n Avalanche PhotoDiodes: What Are the Limits of Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models?

Cited by 2 publications

References 15 publications

Accurate Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models for Conventional and Staircase Avalanche Photodiodes Derived by Full Band Monte Carlo Transport Simulations

Accurate Nonlocal Impact Ionization Models for Conventional and Staircase Avalanche Photodiodes Derived by Full Band Monte Carlo Transport Simulations

Modeling Approaches for Gain, Noise and Time Response of Avalanche Photodiodes for X-Rays Detection

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