# US 8,541,813 B1 · Homojunction type high-speed photodiode

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- Number: US 8,541,813 B1
- Document ID: US8541813B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/549,425
- Filed: 2012-07-14
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-07-05
- Assignees: National Central University
- Applicants: Jin-Wei Shi; Kai-Lun Chi
- Inventors: Jin-Wei Shi; Kai-Lun Chi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541813B1

## CPC

- H10F 30/221: the potential barrier being a PN homojunction
- H10F 10/13: Photovoltaic cells having absorbing layers comprising graded bandgaps
- H10F 30/223: the potential barrier being a PIN barrier
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A homojunction type high-speed photodiode has an active area of greater than at least 50 microns (μm) or preferably greater than 60 microns (μm) in diameter, which has an p-i-n junction epitaxial layer formed on a semiconductor substrate and includes a first ohmic contact layer, an absorption layer, a collector layer and a second ohmic contact layer. No more absorbance occurs in the collector layer of InGaAs, by means of completely absorbing the photon energy in advance by the absorption layer in which the absorption layer has powerful optical absorption constant. Not only can the prior art problems be solved, such as surface absorbance, but also improved electron transport can be achieved by using InGaAs as the constructing material, compared to other materials. The resistance capacitance (RC) for the entire structure can be significantly reduced, and the limitations to the bandwidth resulted from the carrier transport time can be improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A homojunction type high-speed photodiode, having a structure of p-i-n junction epitaxial layer, and comprising:
a first ohmic contact layer, being of P-type electrode;
a second ohmic contact layer, being of N-type electrode;
an absorption layer, between the first and second ohmic contact layers, and having part of a surface partially exposed to a window layer covered by the first ohmic contact layer, a graded p-doping absorption layer, and a graded bandgap absorption layer between the window layer and the graded P-doping absorption layer to absorb an incident light and further convert into carriers;
a collector layer, between the absorption layer and the second ohmic contact layer to collect the carriers and reduce capacitance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, further comprising an active area of greater than at least 50 microns (μm) or preferably greater than 60 microns (μm) in diameter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the absorption layer absorbs more than 95% of incident photons.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the absorption layer has the thickness of 0.88-1.32 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the window layer and the graded bandgap absorption layer respectively have thickness of 0.4-0.6 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the graded P-doping absorption layer has a thickness of 0.48˜0.72 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the collector layer is indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), and has the thickness of 3.04-4.56 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the window layer is InAlAs or indium phosphide (InP).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the graded bandgap absorption layer is InAlGaAs or InGaAsP.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the graded P-doping absorption layer is P-type InGaAs.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the collector layer is between the graded P-doping absorption layer and the second ohmic contact layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the homojunction type high-speed photodiode is formed on a semiconductor substrate and the second ohmic contact layer is N-type InGaAs.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The homojunction type high-speed photodiode of claim 1, wherein the homojunction type high-speed photodiode is applicable to optical communication bands covering from 650 nanometers (nm) to 1550 nm.