Photodiodes【DOC精选】.doc

PIN photodiodes - time/frequency response factors pinspeed.doc 1 Factors (i) Drift time of carriers thru depletion region (ii) RC time constant of equivalent cct (iii) Diffusion time to reach dep. layer, of carriers generated outside the dep. layer 2. Physical processes and circuit details a). Physical processes involved Drift time tC (charge collection time) tc = w/v v = ?E = ?V/w so tc = w2/?V V = VB + Vr This is the time for carriers generated by light absorbed in the depletion region to drift across dep region in the internal field. In pin diodes the field E is high and roughly uniform across the i-layer. Diffusion time td . Ln,p = (Dn,p td)1/2 Minority carriers generated outside the depletion layer, but within one diffusion length of the depletion layer edge may diffuse to depletion layer and be collected ( electrons in surface p-layer and holes in underlying n-layer) b) Equivalent circuit picture RC time constant tRC . tRC =( Rj//Rb//Ra)(Cj+Ca) =( Rj//RL) (Cj+Ca) Refer to equivalent circuit. Since Rs the diode series resistance is usually small, tRC includes the parallel combination of the junction shunt resistance Rj, the load resistor Rb and the amplifier input resistance Ra, and the junction capacitance Cj with connection and amplifier (and cable ) capacitance Ca. (see tutorial example) 3. Design and operating strategy to optimise speed of response a) Reduce drift transit time. tc *By reducing depletion layer width (inc. i-layer) but this reduces efficiency and the depletion layer photocurrent (since less absorption in depletion layer) but this increases Cj and thus increases tRC . so compromise - typ. i-layer 50 ?m *By using high field - i.e. high reverse bias (increase v – reduce transit time, but slightly increases W too ) b)Reduce diffusion time td *Use thin top p-layer (a few ?m) so most of p-layer is within its own depletion layer. *Use high reverse bias to further widen depletion