InGaAs metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with engineered Schottky barrier heights

Abstract

An InAlAs/InGaAs/InP metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector with engineered Schottky barrier heights has been fabricated. A significant decrease in dark current with no change in the responsivity or the bandwidth was obtained by independently engineering the Schottky barrier heights at the anode and cathode. These photodiodes with an electrode width and spacing of 2 μm exhibited a dark current density of 20.0 fA/μm2 at an applied bias of 5 V. This dark current density is ∼6 times lower than the previously reported minimum.