Photo Detectors

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.
A type junction describes a heavily doped p-type
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 ( ) reduces reflections.

n p
+
4 3
N Si
Photodetectors
The 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.

+
p
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 ( ) is
incident.
Result: photon is absorbed and generates (photogenerates)
a free EHP typically in the depletion layer (electron in CB
and hole in VB).

g
E
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
the number of EHPs generated and the drift velocities of
the carriers while moving across the depletion layer.

ph
I
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
(electrons) and not (electrons and holes).
eN
eN 2
p
+
SiO
2
Electrode
net
eN
a
eN
d
x
x
E(x)
R
E
max
e
h
+
I
ph
hu > E
g
W
E
n
Depletion region
(a)
(b)
(c)
Antireflection
coating
V
r
(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.
Electrode
V
out
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)
e
h
+
i
ph
(t)
Semiconductor
(a)
V
x
(b)
(a) An EHP is photogenerated at x = l. The electron and the hole drift in opposite
directions with drift velocities v
h
and v
e
. (b) The electron arrives at time t
e
= (L l)/v
e
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 i
h
(t). (d) The total photocurrent is the sum of hole
and electron photocurrents each lasting a duration t
h
and t
e
respectively.
E
l L l
t
v
e
v
h
v
h
0 L l
t
e
h
+
t
h
t
e
t
0
t
h
t
e
i
ph
(t)
i(t)
t
0
t
h
t
e
ev
h
/L + ev
e
/L ev
h
/L
i
e
(t)
i
h
(t)
(c)
(d)
Charge = e
ev
h
/L ev
e
/L
Responsivity ( R) vs. wavelength ( ) for an ideal
photodiode with QE = 100% ( q = 1) and for a typical
commercial Si photodiode.
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Wavelength (nm)
Si Photodiode
g
Responsivity (A/W)
Ideal Photodiode
QE = 100% (q = 1)
p
+
i-Si n
+
SiO
2
Electrode
net
eN
a
eN
d
x
x
E(x)
R
E
o
E
e
h
+
I
ph
hu > E
g
W
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
V
r
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.
V
out
Electrode
Drift velocity vs. electric field for holes and electrons in Si.
10
2
10
3
10
4
10
5
10
7
10
6
10
5
10
4
Electric field (V m
-1
)
Electron
Hole
Drift velocity (m s
-1
)
hu > E
g
p
+
i-Si
e
E
h
+
W
Drift
Diffusion
A reverse biased pin photodiode is illuminated 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.
V
r
p
+
SiO
2 Electrode
net
x
x
E(x)
R
E
hu > E
g
p
I
ph
e
h
+
Absorption
region
Avalanche
region
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a) A schematic illustration of the structure of an avalanche photodiode (APD) biased
for avalanche gain. (b) The net space charge density across the photodiode. (c) The
field across the diode and the identification of absorption and multiplication regions.
Electrode
n
+
h
+
E
n
+
p
e
Avalanche region
e
h
+
E
c
E
v
(a)
(b)
E
(a) A pictorial view of impact ionization processes releasing EHPs and
the resulting avalanche multiplication. (b) Impact of an energetic
conduction electron with crystal vibrations transfers the electron's
kinetic energy to a valence electron and thereby excites it to the
conduction band.
SiO
2
Guard ring
Electrode
Ant ireflection coat ing
n
n
n
+
p
+
p
Subst rate
Electrode
n
+
p
+
p
Subst rate
Electrode
Avalanche breakdown
(a) (b)
(a) A Si APD structure without a guard ring. (b) A schematic illustration of the
structure of a more practical Si APD
E
N n
Electrode
x
E(x)
R
hu
I
ph
Absorption
region
Avalanche
region
InP InGaAs
h
+
e
E
InP
P
+
n
+
Simplified schematic diagram of a separate absorption and multiplication
(SAM) APD using a heterostructure based on InGaAs-InP. P and N refer to
p and n -type wider-bandgap semiconductor.
V
r
V
out
InP
InGaAs
h
+
e
E
E
c
E
v
E
c
E
v
InP
InGaAs
E
v
E
v
InGaAsP grading layer
h
+
AE
v
(a) Energy band diagram for a
SAM heterojunction APD where
there is a valence band step AE
v
from InGaAs to InP that slows
hole entry into the InP layer.
(b) An interposing grading layer
(InGaAsP) with an intermediate
bandgap breaks AE
v
and makes it
easier for the hole to pass to the InP
layer
(a)
(b)
P
+
InP Substrate
P
+
InP (2-3 m) Buffer epitaxial layer
NInP (2-3 m) Multiplication layer.
Photon
nIn
0. 53
Ga
0. 47
As (5-10m) Absorption layer
Graded nInGaAsP (<1 m)
Electrode
Electrode
Simplified schematic diagram of a more practical mesa-etched SAGM layered
APD.
hu
h
+
e
n
+
E
c
E
v
1020 nm
p
+
E
E
g1
E
g2
AE
c
Energy band diagram of a staircase superlattice APD (a) No bias. (b) With
an applied bias.
(a) (b)

Photo Detectors

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Photodetectors

Convert light signals to a voltage or current.

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