Multiscale Computer Aided Design of Microwave-Band P-I-N Photodetectors

Long wavelength InP-based p-i-n photodetectors (PD) are ubiquitous in modern optoelectronic circuits due to their inherent combination of ultra-high speed, high sensitivity in the most popular for modern telecom systems spectral range of 1.3-1.6 μm, and low bias voltages features that are impossible in principle for Si, GaAs or Ge counterparts. Typical material systems for the telecom spectral range are GaInAsP and GaInAs on InP substrate (Capasso et al., 1985). Now in the number of classical and present-day works (see, e.g. Bowers & Burrus, 1987; Beling & Campbell, 2009) is well-proved that compound semiconductor p-i-n photodetectors have the valid merits such as: high responsivity (up to 1 A/W), lowest dark current (below 10 fA), ultra-high bandwidth (up to 100 GHz and above), possibility of monolithic optoelectronic receiver module creation on common InP substrate.