Patent ID: 9397243
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: H01L,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. An avalanche photodiode comprising: a substrate; a bottom contact layer including a first semiconductor material disposed on the substrate and doped to exhibit a first conductive type; a multiplication layer including the first semiconductor material disposed on the bottom contact layer, the multiplication layer comprising: a carrier-energy-relaxation layer of the first semiconductor material and disposed on the multiplication layer, the carrier-energy-relaxation layer unintentionally-doped or lightly-doped to function as a buffer to reduce energy of drifting hot carriers; an absorption layer of a second semiconductor material and disposed on the carrier-energy-relaxation layer; a top contact layer disposed on the absorption layer and doped to exhibit the second conductive type; and an anti-reflection layer disposed on the top contact layer, wherein the first semiconductor material comprises silicon, and wherein the second semiconductor material comprises germanium.