Fast-response photodiode based on a surface-barrier Au–n-n+-GaAs structure

Abstract

A fast-response photodiode was constructed from a surface-barrier Au–n-n+-GaAs structure. The active n-type region was a film grown by vapor epitaxy and characterized by a free-electron density n = 1014–1015cm−3. The photodiode was highly sensitive in a wide spectral range of 0.25–0.9 μ. The monochromatic current responsivity was 0.5 A/W at λ = 0.8 μ. The rise time of the photoresponse signal was 100 psec when the bias voltage was up to 50 V.