Effect of sulfide-polyamide passivation on dark currents of the InAlAs/InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes

Experimental technique and devices
Authors:
Andryushkin Vladislav Maleev Nicolai A. Kuzmenkov Aleksandr G. Kulagina Marina M. Guseva Yulia A. Vasil’ev Alexey P. Blokhin Sergei A. Bobrov Mikhail A. Troshkov Sergey I. Papylev Denis S. Kolodeznyi Evgenii S. Ustinov Victor M.
Abstract:

The paper presents a study of effect the mesa structure surface passivation on performance of InAlAs/InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiodes. The mesa passivation was made by using treatment in an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfide and subsequent protection by a layer of polyamide (sulfide-polyamide passivation). As a result, avalanche photodiodes with a photosensitive area of 32 microns reproducibly demonstrate dark current below 10–20 nA at the level of 0.9 of the breakdown voltage. A homogeneous distribution of the breakdown voltage value over the sample area at -85V, as well as long-term stability of avalanche photodiode characteristics were observed.