Authors:	H. Chen, P. Verheyen, P. De Heyn, G. Lepage, J. De Coster, S. Balakrishnan, P. Absil, G. Roelkens, J. Van Campenhout
Title:	Dark Current Analysis in High-speed Germanium p-i-n Waveguide Photodetectors
Format:	International Journal
Publication date:	6/2016
Journal/Conference/Book:	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume(Issue):	119(21) p.213105
DOI:	10.1063/1.4953147
Citations:	66 (Dimensions.ai - last update: 14/4/2024) 15 (OpenCitations - last update: 19/4/2024) Look up on Google Scholar
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Abstract

We present a dark current analysis in waveguide-coupled germanium vertical p-i-n photodetectors. In the analysis, surface leakage current and bulk leakage current were separated, and their activation energies were extracted. Surface leakage current originating from the minority carrier generation on the Ge layer sidewalls, governed by the Shockley-Read-Hall process and enhanced by the trap-assisted-tunneling process, was identified as the main contribution to the dark current of vertical p-i-n photodiodes at room temperature. The behavior of this surface leakage current as a function of temperature and (reverse bias) voltage is well reproduced by using the Hurckx model for trap-assisted-tunneling.

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