Two-Dimensional Device Simulation of the

InGaAs/InP Avalanche Photodiodes

1. Introduction
The high gain, and high gain-bandwidth product of the
avalanche photodiodes is one of the key device for the
long distance optical communication systems. For the
0.92-1.65um wavelength range, the narrow bandgap
materials, like InGaAs(0.77eV), are used as the absorption
medium. And the breakdown location is a major issue
to design of the APD’s. In order for the device to operate
with high gain and low noise[1], the design of the guard
ring to suppress edge breakdown is important.

The object of this article is to get the multiplication[2],

the leakage current under the dark and the illuminated
current[3] was simulated. And the other important factor
of the cut-off frequency calculated by the numerical device
simulator ATLAS.

2. Device Structure and Models

In order to simulate of the APD’s, the thickness and
doping level used conventional APD device. The dark
current and illuminated current is very depend on the
absorbed layer and the doping profile. And the multipli-
cation layer thickness is the very key parameter of the Figure 1. Cross-sectional view of the simulated APD.
breakdown voltage and position of the avalanche. Here
the simple APD’s structure showed with guard ring as A thick InGaAs absorption layer with very low donor
Figure 1. type is on the InP substrate with the InP buffered layer.
The speed of the APD is very depend on the thickness
of the absorption layer. This is due to the reduction in
transit time when this absorption layer is reduced. And
in order to reduce the charge build-up at the heterojunc-
tion interface a graded layer is introduced between the
InP and InGaAs absorption layer.

To simulate the avalanche photodiodes, the generation

rate due to impact ionization must be calculated.

The general impact ionization process is described by

here, G is the local generation rate of electron-hole pairs,

α n α p are the ionization coefficient for the electron and
hole, JnJp are their current density.

In Blaze/ATLAS, the impact ionization rate included

with the self-consistantly in basic equation and material
parameters[4]. For the purpose of numerical simulation,
the parameters for the InP and InGaAs was given in
Table I. And the other basical material parameters are
integrated in Blaze/ATLAS depend on the mole fraction.
Figure 2. The Band structure of the APD.
Figure 2 shows the Band structure of this APD.

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 Parameter Units InGaAs InP
Electron Auger Coeff cm6/s 7.0e-29 9.0e-31
Hole Auger Coeff cm6/s 7.0e-29 9.0e-31
Electron SRH lifetime sec 8.0e-8 6.0e-12
Hole SRH lifetime sec 8.0e-8 6.0e-12
Radiative Recombination Rate Coeff cm3/s 9.6e-11 1.2e-10
Electron Impact Ionization 1/cm 5.15e7 1.0e7
Electron Critical Field V/cm 1.95e6 3.45e6
Hole Impact Ionization 1/cm 9.69e7 9.36e6
Hole Critical Field V/cm 2.27e6 2.78e6
Light absorption Coeff 1/cm 8000 0
Table I. List of the Material Parameters used for the simulation

And the influence of the applied bias with illuminated 3. Simulation Results and Discussion
condition, the opto-generation rate must be calculated.
The dark current and illuminated current versus bias
The Luminous is a general purpose of ray tracing and
voltage is shown in Figure 4. As the Figure 4, there are 3
light absorption program integrated into the ATLAS.
phase of operation.

In phase I, the current is due to thermally excited carriers

in the InP, and for the illuminated case, the collection of
generated is zero.
here, the η 0 is the internal quantum efficiency, P* contains
the cumulative effects of reflection, transmission, and loss In Phase II, the charge sheet has been fully depleted and
due to absorption, λ is the wavelength of the illuminated the device operates like to p-i-n photodetector. Under
light, h is Planck’s constant, c is the speed of light, α is the this condition, the carriers are not transported to multi-
absorption coefficient. plication layers in the high field. And for the illuminated
case, the depletion layer still under the Graded layers, so
The light into the APD can set the gaussian form as like the
the absorption effect is very low.
beam from the optical fiber. And the C-Interpreter could
make sure the user’s unique absorption model depend In phase III, the device operates as an APD. The carriers
on the illuminated wavelength. In Figure 3 under the generated within the InGaAs absorption layer with
metal has high absorption coeff, so the photogeneration photogeneration can drift into the high field multiplication
rate close to be zero. region, so an internal gain mechanism was provided

Figure 3. The gaussian beam form like outcoupling from Figure 4. Typical I-V plot of the dark and illuminated current.
optical fiber.

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Figure 5. Impact Ionization rate distribution due to the Electric field. Figure 6. Frequency vs Normalized modulated output.

with the impact ionization. In Figure 5, the distribution Reference

of the impact ionization rate shows where the maximum [1] Mohammad A. Saleh et al, “Impact-Ionization and Noise Charac-
teristics of Thin III-V Avalanche Photodiodes”, IEEE TRANSAC-
electric field is high on the multiplication layer.
TIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES, VOL. 48, NO. 12, DECEMBER
2001, pp.2722-2731
Finally, the AC response of the APD was calculated
with small signal analysis of the illuminated light. [2] V.Chandramouli, Christine M. Maziar, Joe C. Campbell, “Design
Considerations for High Performance Avalanche Photodiode
The Figure 6 shows the 3 GHz cut-off frequency by Multiplication Layers”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices,
the Luminous/ATLAS. The plot of the 3dB bandwidth Vol.41, No.5, May 1994, pp.648- 654
could make the collect the cut-off frequency each Anode [3] C.L.F.Ma, M.J.Deen , L.E.Tarof, “Multiplication in Separate
bias point. Absorption, Grading, Charge, and Multiplication InP-InGaAs
Avalanche Photodiodes”, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics,
Vol.31, No.11 November 1995, pp.2078-2088
4. Conclusion [4] Joseph W. Parks, et al,”Theoritical Study of Device Sensitivity
The InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes has been successfully and Gain Saturation of Separate Absorption, Grading Charge,
and Multiplication InP/InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes”, IEEE
simulated within the Luminous/ATLAS for the DC Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol.43, No.12, December
analysis and AC analysis in this article. And the dark 1996, pp.2113-2121
current and illuminated current was shown under the
reverse voltage. The ATLAS is linked seamless the drift
diffusion to impact ionization and photogeneration.

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