Semiconductor hetero-interface photodetector

• US 6,130,441 A
• Filed: 03/19/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Bowers, John E., Hawkins, Aaron R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US09/272,426
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 257/21, 257/17, 257/22, 257/184, 257/15, 257/438, 257/185, 257/440, 438/93, 438/94
• US Class Current: 257/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02161 for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1075 in which the active layers, e.g. absorption or multiplication layers, form an heterostructure, e.g. SAM structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

By using wafer fusion, various structures for photodetectors and photodetectors integrated with other electronics can be achieved. The use of silicon as a multiplication region and III-V compounds as an absorption region create photodetectors that are highly efficient and tailored to specific applications. Devices responsive to different regions of the optical spectrum, or that have higher efficiencies are created.

Claims

1. A resonant cavity photodetector, comprising:

a first mirror on a substrate;

an absorption layer with a first lattice constant coupled to the first mirror;

a multiplication layer with a second lattice constant bonded to the absorption layer thereby to permit a current to effectively pass between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer, said first lattice constant being different than said second lattice constant; and

a second mirror coupled to the multiplication layer.

2. A resonant cavity photodetector, comprising:

a substrate having a doped top portion;

a multiplication layer having a first lattice constant coupled to the doped top portion of the substrate;

an absorption layer having a second lattice constant fused to the multiplication layer thereby to permit a current to effectively pass between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer, said first lattice constant being different than said second lattice constant;

a top mirror coupled to the absorption layer; and

a bottom mirror coupled to the substrate.

3. A waveguide photodetector, comprising:

a substrate having a doped top portion;

a multiplication layer having a first lattice constant coupled to the doped top portion of the substrate;

an absorption layer having a second lattice constant fused to the multiplication layer thereby to permit a current to effectively pass between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer, said first lattice constant being different than said second lattice constant; and

a contact layer coupled to the absorption layer.

4. A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) photodetector, comprising:

a first mirror on a bottom of a substrate;

an absorption layer having a first lattice constant grown on the mirror;

a multiplication layer having a second lattice constant fused to a top of the absorption layer opposite the first mirror thereby to permit a current to effectively pass between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer, said first lattice constant being different than said second lattice constant;

a second substrate;

a second mirror coupled to the second substrate; and

a cavity length layer disposed between the first mirror and the second mirror.

5. An array of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) photodetectors, comprising:

a first mirror on a bottom of a substrate;

an absorption layer having a first lattice constant grown on the mirror;

a multiplication layer having a second lattice constant fused to a top of the absorption layer opposite the first mirror thereby to permit a current to effectively pass between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer, said first lattice constant being different than said second lattice constant;

a second substrate;

a second mirror coupled to the second substrate; and

a cavity length layer disposed between the first mirror and the second mirror, wherein a thickness of the cavity length layer varies along a length of the cavity length layer to generate different cavity lengths for each photodetector.

6. The array of wavelength division multiplexing photodetectors of claim 5, wherein the cavity length layer is selected from a group comprising:

the first mirror, the absorption layer, the multiplication layer, and the second mirror.