InGaAsP-based uni-travelling carrier photodiode structure grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

We report the first InGaAsP-based uni-travelling carrier photodiode structure grown by Solid Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy; the material contains layers of InGaAsP as thick as 300 nm and a 120 nm thick InGaAs absorber. Large area vertically illuminated test devices have been fabricated and characterised; the devices exhibited 0.1 A/W responsivity at 1550 nm, 12.5 GHz -3 dB bandwidth and -5.8 dBm output power at 10 GHz for a photocurrent of 4.8 mA. The use of Solid Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy enables the major issue associated with the unintentional diffusion of zinc in Metal Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy to be overcome and gives the benefit of the superior control provided by MBE growth techniques without the costs and the risks of handling toxic gases of Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy.