Abstract

Understanding detailed avalanche mechanisms is critical for design optimization of avalanche photodiodes (APDs). In this work, avalanche characteristics and single photon counting performance of 4H-SiC n-i-p and p-i-n APDs are compared. By studying the evolution of breakdown voltage as a function of incident light wavelength, it is confirmed that at the deep ultraviolet (UV) wavelength region the avalanche events in 4H-SiC n-i-p APDs are mainly induced by hole-initiated ionization, while electron-initiated ionization is the main cause of avalanche breakdown in 4H-SiC p-i-n APDs. Meanwhile, at the same dark count rate, the single photon counting efficiency of n-i-p APDs is considerably higher than that of p-i-n APDs. The higher performance of n-i-p APDs can be explained by the larger impact ionization coefficient of holes in 4H-SiC. In addition, this is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, to report single photon detection performance of vertical 4H-SiC n-i-p-n APDs.

© 2021 Chinese Laser Press

128-pixel arrays of 4H-SiC UV APD with dual-frequency PECVD SiN_x passivation

Xingye Zhou, Xin Tan, Yuanjie Lv, Yuangang Wang, Jia Li, Shixiong Liang, Zi-Hui Zhang, Zhihong Feng, and Shujun Cai
Opt. Express 28(20) 29245-29252 (2020)

Back-illuminated AlGaN heterostructure solar-blind avalanche photodiodes with one-dimensional photonic crystal filter

Qing Cai, Weike Luo, Ruyue Yuan, Haifan You, Qian Li, Mo Li, Dunjun Chen, Hai Lu, Rong Zhang, and Youdou Zheng
Opt. Express 28(5) 6027-6035 (2020)

Al_0.1Ga_0.9N p-i-n ultraviolet avalanche photodiodes with suppressed surface leakage current and uniform avalanche breakdown

Haifan You, Haiping Wang, Weike Luo, YiWang Wang, Xinghua Liu, Zhenguang Shao, Dunjun Chen, Hai Lu, Rong Zhang, and Youdou Zheng
Opt. Express 31(23) 37516-37522 (2023)

Highly sensitive visible-blind extreme ultraviolet Ni/4H-SiC Schottky photodiodes with large detection area

Jun Hu, Xiaobin Xin, Jian H. Zhao, Feng Yan, Bing Guan, John Seely, and Benjawan Kjornrattanawanich
Opt. Lett. 31(11) 1591-1593 (2006)

Single photon detection in a waveguide-coupled Ge-on-Si lateral avalanche photodiode

Nicholas J. D. Martinez, Michael Gehl, Christopher T. Derose, Andrew L. Starbuck, Andrew T. Pomerene, Anthony L. Lentine, Douglas C. Trotter, and Paul S. Davids
Opt. Express 25(14) 16130-16139 (2017)