Temperature dependence of dark current in a p-i-n photodiode incorporating a resonant tunneling structure

Abstract

Analyses of the slope variations, as a function of temperature, of the dark current–voltage curves obtained in the case of p–i–n diodes incorporating in their intrinsic region a double barrier single quantum well (QW) structure indicate that below the flat band condition a conduction mechanism by tunneling assisted by recombination centers prevails over most of the temperature range considered (20–300 K). Above the flat band condition and for temperatures below 180 K, negative differential resistance (NDR) regions displaying Z-shaped bistability were observed. The appearance of these NDRs is attributed to resonant tunneling of holes via the lowest light-hole subband in the QW and electrons via the second quasi-bound level in the conduction band.