Wavelength dependence of multiplication noise in silicon avalanche photodiodes

1 June 1977

journal article
Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices

Vol. 24 (6) , 713-716
https://doi.org/10.1109/T-ED.1977.18809

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental results on wavelength dependence of multiplication noise in silicon avalanche photodiodes are described. When the photodiode has a p-n+-junction and is illuminated from the n+-side, multiplication noise increases by decreasing optical wavelength. Effective ionization coefficient ratio keffis equal tokexp (2Kw_{a}) for a uniform junction electric field, wherekis the ratio of ionization coefficients of electrons α and holes β. The multiplication noise depends on the product of optical absorption coefficientKand the avalanche-region width wa. Calculations show that there exists an optimum wafor minimizing multiplication noise at a given wavelength. Theoretical results are shown to agree with results of experiments on diodes with a low-high-low impurity profile. Measured ionization coefficient ratiokvalues are 0.04 and 0.08 at 0.811- and 0.633-µm wavelength, respectively.

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