Patent ID: 6573581
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
A PIN photodiode apparatus having low leakage current for use in low voltage, low speed imaging array, said apparatus comprising:a substrate of indium phosphide (InP) of an n+ type doping; a buffer layer of InP with n+ doping grown on top of said InP substrate; a lattice matched In0.53 GA0.47As absorption layer grown on top of said InP substrate and having a thickness of between 1 &mgr;m and 4 &mgr;m and which is intentionally doped n-type between 1Ã—1014/cm3 and 5Ã—1017/cm3; and, a top layer of InP which is doped n-type between 1Ã—1015/cm3 to 2Ã—1019/cm3 and which has a thickness between approximately 0.25 &mgr;m to 1.5 &mgr;m thick, wherein when said photodiode apparatus is employed in an array of said photodiodes, said array exhibits substantially greater uniformity of pixel-to-pixel response than arrays formed of PIN diodes without intentional doping in said absorption layer.