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US 9,755,100 B2Granted
Reducing dark current in germanium photodiodes by electrical over-stress
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBarry P. Linder, Jason S. Orcutt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for reducing dark current in a photodiode include heating a photodiode above room temperature. A reverse bias voltage is applied to the heated photodiode to reduce a dark current generated by the photodiode.
Claims19
A method for reducing dark current in a photodiode, comprising:
- heating a photodiode above room temperature;
- and
- applying a reverse bias voltage to the heated photodiode for a duration less than a duration of heating the photodiode to reduce a dark current generated by the photodiode.
A method for reducing dark current in a photodiode, comprising:
- heating a germanium photodiode, formed on a silicon substrate, above room temperature;
- applying a reverse bias voltage to the heated photodiode to reduce a dark current generated by the photodiode;
- measuring the dark current generated by the photodiode;
- and
- increasing the reverse bias voltage until the measured dark current stabilizes to maximize a dark current reduction after the photodiode returns to room temperature.
2 more elements
A method for reducing dark current in a photodiode, comprising:
- heating a germanium photodiode, formed on a silicon substrate, above room temperature;
- and
- applying a constant reverse bias voltage to the heated photodiode to reduce a dark current generated by the photodiode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.