Low dark current GaN avalanche photodiodes

Ye, Bo; Li, T.; Heng, K.; Collins, Charles J.; Wang, S.; Carrano, John C.; Dupuis, R. D.; Campbell, Joe C.; Schurman, M.; Ferguson, Ian T.

doi:10.1109/3.892557

Cited by 51 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Due to materials problems, mainly large dislocation densities, issues related to breakdown spatial uniformity and photocurrent homogeneity are key problems (premature microplasma breakdown and preferential conduction paths). Limited by layer DD, only small area devices seem to be really feasible and optical avalanche gains in the 10-10 2 range were initially reported [57][58][59][60]. McIntosh et al reported microplasma-free GaN avalanche photodiodes 37 µm in diameter, with a multiplication gain of 10, and led to demonstrate ultra-violet photon counting with GaN [57,59].…”

Section: Photodetectors With Internal Gain: Avalanche Uv Detectorsmentioning

confidence: 96%

(Al,In,Ga)N‐based photodetectors. Some materials issues

Muñoz

2007

Physica Status Solidi (b)

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www.pss-b.com filters are needed to stop low energy photons (VIS and infrared light), degradation is produced by UV photons (shorter device lifetime), efficiency lowers, dark current increases markedly with temperature, etc. The development of higher band gap III-arsenides or III-phosphides for UV photodetection did not progress substantially. On the other hand, for high sensitivity UV applications, PMT are needed, being bulky and requering a high-voltage power supply [1][2][3].To avoid the use of filters, to increase efficiency, to lower noise and dark current specially above room temperature, and to achieve visible-blind operation, UV detectors based on wide band gap semiconductors have been studied during the last decade. Thin film synthetic diamond detectors (E g = 5.4 eV, 227 nm, direct gap), were developed and commercialised mainly as polycrystalline photoconductor devices. SiC p-n junction PD (4H-SiC, E g = 3.26 eV; 6H-SiC, E g = 3 eV, indirect gap), have been also available. However, the turning point to make visible-blind UV detectors an appealing reality, to open really new possibilities for UV detection, has been the development of (Al,In,Ga)N semiconductors. The possibility of selecting the cut-off wavelength by adjusting the mole fraction of the ternary or quaternary alloys is unique, so far not being proven by any other wide-band-gap semiconductor family [2].III-nitrides are direct band gap materials, with GaN showing its absorption edge at 360 nm (E g = 3.44 eV) and at 200 nm for AlN (E g = 6.2 eV), and with the ability to form heterojunctions and to withstand high temperatures. Even the 400 nm UV frontier can be reached using (In,Ga)N alloys (band gap assigned today to InN is 0.7 eV). This tunability of the detection edge by just varying the Al(In) mole fraction, and the fact that (Al,In,Ga)N technology is already fully commercial for light emitting diodes, laser diodes (LEDs and LDs, respectively) [4], and it has just started for high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), are very important points that have made (Al,In,Ga)N alloys the most adequate solution for UV detection in many applications. Besides, the high chemical and thermal stability of GaN, GaN-based detectors are also of interest for high photon energy detection (e.g. VUV and X-rays) and even for high energy particle detection [5].The photoconductive properties of GaN were studied by Pankove and Berkeyheiser in 1974 [6], and in about fifteen years of III-nitrides technology, the first GaN UV photoconductive detectors were reported by Khan in 1992 [7]. Since then, practically all types of PD structures have been developed, directly linked to advances in GaN and AlGaN epitaxial growth, and to progresses in p-type doping and in ohmic and Schottky contact technology. Trying to give a perspective of the developments, we may consider an initial exploratory phase (a proof of concept, first generation of UV detectors, VIS blind), just trying to confirm that GaN and AlGaN PDs (with low-medium Al mole fractions) were feasible. Later, a second ...

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Section: Photodetectors With Internal Gain: Avalanche Uv Detectorsmentioning

confidence: 96%

(Al,In,Ga)N‐based photodetectors. Some materials issues

Muñoz

2007

Physica Status Solidi (b)

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“…AlGaN-based Schottky, 1,2 p-i-n 3,4 and MSM 5 photodetectors with excellent detectivity performances have been reported. However, very few GaN-based avalanche photodiodes ͑APDs͒ were reported in the literature, [6][7][8][9][10][11] and there are not any publications reporting AlGaN-based APDs. The high defect densities in the epitaxial layers grown on latticemismatched substrates result in a premature microplasma breakdown before the electric field can reach the bulk avalanche breakdown level, which is a major problem for the AlGaN / GaN APDs.…”

Section: Solar-blind Al X Ga 1−x N-based Avalanche Photodiodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high defect densities in the epitaxial layers grown on latticemismatched substrates result in a premature microplasma breakdown before the electric field can reach the bulk avalanche breakdown level, which is a major problem for the AlGaN / GaN APDs. 8,11 In this paper, we report the epitaxial growth, fabrication, and characterization of AlGaN-based APDs operating in the solar-blind spectral region.…”

Section: Solar-blind Al X Ga 1−x N-based Avalanche Photodiodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar-blind AlxGa1−xN-based avalanche photodiodes

Tut

Bütün

et al. 2005

Applied Physics Letters

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We report the Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) growth, fabrication, and characterization of solar blind AlxGa1−xN∕GaN-based avalanche photodiodes. The photocurrent voltage characteristics indicate a reproducible avalanche gain higher than 25 at a 72 V applied reverse bias. Under a 25 V reverse bias voltage, the 100 μm diameter devices had a maximum quantum efficiency of 55% and a peak responsivity of 0.11A∕W at 254 nm, and a NEP of 1.89x10−16 W∕Hz1∕2.

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“…Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with thin avalanche widths can greatly enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of optical receivers limited by weak optical signals and high amplifier noise by providing internal gain, while maintaining high operating speeds and low operating voltages. The realization of III-nitride APDs is currently limited by material issues due to the lack of a native nitride substrate, although there has been some success in the demonstration of GaN APDs [1], [2] from using small device areas to achieve microplasma-free performance. By contrast, SiC is technologically more mature and is a potential alternative to the III-nitrides for UV detection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonlocal effects in thin 4H-SiC UV avalanche photodiodes

David

Tozer

et al. 2003

IEEE Trans. Electron Devices

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ReuseUnless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. ) for hole (electron) injection, was measured with 365-nm light in both structures. Modeling the experimental results using a simple quantum efficiency model and a nonlocal description yields effective ionization threshold energies of 12 and 8 eV for electrons and holes, respectively, and suggests that the dead space in 4H-SiC is soft. Although dead space is important, pure hole injection is still required to ensure low excess noise in thin 4H-SiC APDs owing to ratios that remain large, even at very high fields.

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Low dark current GaN avalanche photodiodes

Cited by 51 publications

References 13 publications

(Al,In,Ga)N‐based photodetectors. Some materials issues

(Al,In,Ga)N‐based photodetectors. Some materials issues

Solar-blind AlxGa1−xN-based avalanche photodiodes

Nonlocal effects in thin 4H-SiC UV avalanche photodiodes

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