Germanium-Tin on Si Avalanche Photodiode: Device Design and Technology Demonstration

Abstract

We report the demonstration of a Ge0.95Sn0.05 on silicon (Ge0.95Sn0.05/Si) avalanche photodiode (APD) having a separate-absorption-charge-multiplication structure, wherein a Ge0.95Sn0.05 layer and a Si layer function as an absorption layer and a multiplication layer, respectively. Material characterization was performed by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The dark current $I_{\rm dark}$ of the APD is dominated by the area-dependent bulk leakage rather than the surface leakage. The temperature dependence of breakdown voltage of the Ge0.95Sn0.05/Si APD was characterized and a thermal coefficient of 0.05% $\mathrm{K}^{\mathrm {-1}}$ was obtained, achieving a lower thermal sensitivity than the conventional III-V-based APDs. In the wavelength range of 1600–1630 nm, a responsivity of $\sim 1$ A/W (bias voltage ${V}_{\rm bias} = -9.8$ V) was achieved due to the internal avalanche gain.