Search...

Log In

Sign Up

A Drift-Diffusion Model to Simulate Current for Avalanche

Photo Detector

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 7( Version 3), July 2014, pp.102-106

RESEARCH ARTICLE

www.ije

OPEN

A Drift-Diffusion Model to Simulate Current for Avala

Photo Detector
1

Fatemeh Roostaie, Maryam Raki and Hadi Arabshahi

Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Chamran, Ahvaz, Iran

Department of Electronic Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Boshehr, Iran.
3
Department of Physics, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
2

Abstract

In this research, a Drift-Diffusion model is carried out to calculate includes impact ionization mechan
can calculate dark current and photocurrent of avalanche photo diode. Poisson equation, electron a
density continuity equations and electron and hole current equations have been solved simultaneous
Gummel method. Consideration of impact ionization enables the model to completely simulate the carr
in high electrical field. The simulation has been done using MATLAB and the results are compared w
reliable results obtained by researchers. Our results show despite of hydrodynamics and Monte Carlo
which are very complicated we can get the current characteristics of photo detector easily with ac
accuracy. In addition we can use this method to calculate currents of device in high fields.
Keywords: Avalanche photo detector (APD), Impact ionization, Drift-Diffusion model (DDM).
I.
Introduction
Avalanche photodiodes APDs are crucial
components
for
long
wavelength
optical
communication systems (OCS). Generally, APDs are
the first elements in optical receiver that convert
optical data to electrical signal [1-3]. Because of
impact ionization mechanism in the APD, APDs have
an internal gain which causes higher detection
sensitivity also there is no need of external circuits of
amplifiers due to current gain. For this reason, APD
has become an efficient device with broad

and changing effect of physical parameter

output characteristic device are acceptable
this reports [9]. Dark current characteristic
of photodetector are the important parameter
been considered in various reports [10]. Dark
mostly is affected by epitaxy methods while
severe dependence to the field of multi
region and it is a function of reverse bias.
reports have been presented in the field of m
and simulation of behavior of photodetector,
Soroosh et al. [10] calculated dark current b

applications
in long
distancephotodiodes,
fiber OCS [4].
To simulate
avalanche
one need to
an efficient method which can describe different
mechanisms such as light absorption and impact
ionization mechanism are very important occurring in
a multiplication region repetitively. Therefore, one
should be use a precisely model which covers the
mechanism. The drift diffusion model is one of the
simplest models that describe the classical transport
of charge carriers in a semiconductor [5-7]. It can
present simple description for behavior of carriers in
through out of the device. The drift-diffusion method
is capable of providing an approximate solution of
the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) and provides
a description of non-equilibrium carrier transport.
Several circuit models of APD have been developed

networkmodelhas
in abeen
microscopic
view.
photodetector
considered
as aIn thi
pattern for input-output space is establish
training the patterns. Also a device has been s
microscopy and the effect of parameters
length, material and the value of impurity o
regions on the dark current and photocurre
been calculated. Although presenting
dark current, the model does not have good a
due to the restriction of the training data. In
report, according to the minority carriers rate
model has been presented calculating cu
photodetector in high electric field
does not having an good accuracy, the mode
important for its simplicity and integrated abi
other receiving circuits [12]. In the model,

[6-8]. Chen and Liu gave out a p-i-n APD circuit

model including the effect of minority carrier
diffusion, neglecting the impact of carrier transit time
[8]. From two decade ago, different reports presented
in the field of manufacturing a optic device. For
example GaAs homo and InP/InGaAs/InP hetero
structure have been mentioned. The epitaxy technical

has not been presented for dark current, and

general equation has been presented for desc
the behavior of device. Although the initial m
been extended for SAM structure and extensi
one of the weaknesses of the model is the
analysis of dark current. Soroosh and cowork
have presented a Monte Carlo model to

www.ijera.com

102

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

www.ije

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 7( Version 3), July 2014, pp.102-106

APDs photocurrent and its coefficients. This model
having been presented assuming the two valleys for
electrons and the two sub bands for holes with a good
accuracy. The time-taking of simulation and its
complexity are the main weaknesses in this model.
Requiring to advanced hardware, understanding of
physical mechanism of the device and its time-taking
of numerical solution cause the model do not have
suitable performance. High electric field mechanism
and the interference of some mechanism are the most
issue for simulation and modeling. Although
differences efforts have been performed achieving to
suitable accuracy in simulation of high electric field
with simplicity model is the attractive problem. In
this paper a carefully efficient model is presented
which does not have much complexity and can

Fig 1. Schematic of the PIN APD structure

which does not have much complexity and can

calculate dark current, photo current and gain of APD
very well. To achieve this purpose is used the DDM.
In presented model, the absorption light is
determined base on photon absorption rate. Also II
mechanism is considered base on an exponential
equation because the model has a suitable accuracy in
high electric field. The Presented model includes a
five nonlinear differential equation with partial
derivation including Poisson equation, electron and
holes density continuity equations and electron and
hole current equations, and a Gammel method is used
for solving equation. In another section, first, the PIN
APD structure and its performance are shortly
introduced. In the following, the DDM and its
numerical solution are presented complicity. In the
final section, the results of the presented model are
compared with others to verify the accuracy of our
model.

absolute value of field.

III. Drift Diffusion Model

Solving the Boltzman transport e
(BTEs) is the key to simulate the semic
device properties. One way to solve BTEs i
In DDM, electron and holes continuity equa
solved simultaneity. This model is better tha
Carlo and hydrodynamics in simplicity and t
of convergence. Convergence in DDM is obt
choosing the proper initial and the b
conditions.

This model is included five equations g

Poisson, continuity of density carriers equat
carriers current equations defined with equat
5 respectively,

II. PIN APD Poto Detectors

A schematic of a PIN APD photodetector and its
absolute value of the electric field are shown in figure
1. The p-side or n-side illuminated light is absorbed
in region and generates several electrons and hole.
Because of high electric field in i region, the
generated carriers are drifted toward the lateral
contacts, and in the during the path cause other
junctions to broke and several electrons and hole are
generated again. This mechanism is called
regeneration which is continuously repeated. Finally,
the number of carriers is increased and the generated
current is called photocurrent. The ratio the increased
photocurrent caused by the initial photocurrent is
called gain. Of course, another current is called dark
current that exists in the lack of light.

.(V)

1
q

J n U n

1
Jp U p
t
q

qnnE qDnn
Jp qnpE qDpp
Jn

Where in this equation, v is the electric p

is the sum of electric charges, n is the free

density, p is the hole density, E is the electric

is the dielectric constant in semiconductors,
Up are the sum of the generation (
recombination (R) mechanisms and genera
are defined as U=G-R, Dn ,
Dp
electron and hole respectively
coefficients for
p are the electrical mobilitis, J n andJp
density for electron and hole, respectivel
Shockly-Read-Hall and Auge recombina
considered as recombination rates. Also
absorption
considered
as
generation

www.ijera.com

103

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

www.ije

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 7( Version 3), July 2014, pp.102-106

Uploaded by

I. (www.ijera.com)

Consideration the recombination causes the model to

be able to simulate the current of device in high
electric field. This issue is one of the advantages of
presented
model
Info in
42
compared with other drift
diffusion models. This factor expressed as,
Gii

Jn

Jp
q

(6)

T is the light transmission coefficient in the

semiconductor, is the semiconductor absorption
coefficient, is the flow of radial photon, x is the
distance from the semiconductor surface and is the
radial wavelength.
Shockly-Read-Hall recombination,
(8)
np n2
i

p (n n t ) n (p p t )

Auger recombination,
UAug

cn pn 2 nni2 cp np2 pni2

(9)

Where, in above equations, p and nare carriers life

time, ni is the intrinsic carrier density, n t and pt are
deficiency density and cn and cp are the auger
constants.
For discretization equations 1 to 5 are used finite
difference method. To achieve convergence must
amount of place cell and steps changing in the
applied voltage according to the following equation,

x LD

kBT
q2 N

And

V Vt

dx

k BT
q

KB is the Boltzmann constant, T is the

temperature of environment and N is the majority
carriersdensity. To solve equations 1 to 5, they are
rewritten so that independent variable v, nand p are
obtained. n and p are quasi-Fermi levels of
electrons and hole respectively. To do this, electrons
and holes density are related the quasi- Fermi levels.
(V n )
V
t

n ni e

(10-a)

(p V)

Vt

p ni e

(10-b)

Assumption equilibrium and eliminating the time

dJ n

dx

qn i

(p V)

(V n )

(e

Vt

Vt

NA N
ni

qUn

dx
dJp

Assuming that each photon absorbed generates a pair

of electron and hole, generation rate caused
byabsorption is defined with as,
(7)
( )x
G opt (x, ) T () () e

USRH

d2V

www.ije

qUp

J n qn n i (e

(V n )
Vt

dV
dx

Vt

d
dx

(p V)

Jp q p n i (e

Vt

(p

dV
dx

Vt

d
dx

(e

First, equation 11is solved in equilibriu

initial guess for nodes potential is obtained t
of nodes potential in the during device for on
recursively. The maximum difference betw
previous value and the verbal value
potential is considered error.
This process is repeated until the maxim
of nodes for two successive iterations to be l
-3
10 . Thus the initial potential of nodes is obt

non-equilibrium. In the following, the value o

p in nodes is calculated using the potential
utilizes equations 12 and 13. Then,
placed in equation 11 to correct the
potential. This process is repeated until the m
error of nodes to be less than 10
equations 11 to 15 and for calculating J
used Shafter and Gummel method. In this
the place discretization for Jnand Jp is away
place half-cell with other discritizations. To
electric field at each point must know the di
of the potential between the adjacent points
the discretization has been selected.

IV.The results of simulati

In order to investigate the accuracy

simulation results and compare them, the pa
of PIN APD detector are shown in table 1.
Fig. 3 shows the potential distribution and
field of the device for reverse voltage biased
10 Volt. The gradient of potential is cons
region and is less in p an n regions. Also the
of potential expresses the electric field. In Fig
electric field is more in i region and is less in
regions. The three regions p, n and i
considered the series resistances which the re
of the i region is bigger than another

of the i region is bigger than another

Assumption equilibrium and eliminating the time

derivative are rewritten equations 1 to 5 as below,

www.ijera.com

104

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 7( Version 3), July 2014, pp.102-106

value
850
400
5*10
3*10
10
-30
10
12.9
-8

1.3*10

www.ije

Table 1. List of the material parameters used for simulations [5-7].

parameter
value
parameter

n
10
Nd
p
1018
Na

2*10
ni
n s

100
Wp
p s

Cn
200
Wi

Cp
100
Wn
1.423
Eg
s

x(cm)

0.0850

V(ev)

(a)

Fig 4. Dark current versus reverse bias for d

multiplication region.
With the increasing a constant voltag

With the increasing a constant voltag

current is decreased because the electric field
region decreases. Also by increasing reve

(b)
Fig 3. Distribution (a) and electrical field (b) in the electric
potential for voltages of 2, 6 and 10 volt.
To calculate dark current, the equation 7 is not considered
in simulation. In other word, light radiation is eliminated.
Figure 4 is shown the dark current obtained from the model
in comparison with the experimental data for the biased
voltage and the different widths of the multiplication
region.
Our jobs
results
are in
agreement
other
experimental
[10-12].
Ourgood
results
are in fairwith
agreement
for voltages near the breakdown.

close
to breakdown
voltage.because
The darkin high
exponential
augmentation
field electron and hole coefficients are re
exponential with electric field of multi
region.
Figure 5 shows photocurrent versus rev
for three different multiplication regions 1
and 500 nm and Pin = 35 mw and = 633
justification of photo current graph is
current graph.
The gain graph as a function of revers
shown in Fig 6. As shown, with the incre
reverse bias, the intensity of electric fi
increases and then gain increases. By in
multiplication region at a constant bias volt
electric field decreases and gain decreases, to

achieve more gain with increasing wavele

reverse bias has better been increased.

www.ijera.com

105

Fatemeh Roostaie et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications

ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 7( Version 3), July 2014, pp.102-106

www.ije

Reference
[1]

H. S. Nalwa,Photodetectors and Fibe

Academic Press, 2001.
[2] K. Ng. Kwok, Complete Gu
Semiconductor Devices, Academic
2008.
[3] K. A. Anselm, H. Nie, C. Hu, C
Yuan, G. Kinsey, J. C. Campbell
Streetman, Performance of
Absorption, Charge and Multi
Avalanche Photodiodes, IEEE Jou
Quantum Electronics, vol. 34, no. 3, p
490, March 1998.

490, March 1998.

[4]
Fig 5. Photo current versus reverse bias for different
multiplication region.

Fig 6. Gain versus reverse bias.

With survey graphs 3 to 6, we can understand
that presented DDM can calculate dark current and
photo current of PIN APD detector with good
accuracy. The simplicity of the presented model, the
ability of simulation in high electric field and suitable
convergence are characteristics of DDM. Hence, the
development of this model is proposed for other
structures of APD.

V. Conclusions
In this paper, employing Gummel method in
DDM, we could simulate PIN APD photodetector at
high voltage. In the proposed model, potential
distribution and electric field characteristic of the
detector were calculated by discretization Poisson
equation, electron and hole concentrations continuity
equations and electron and hole current equations
using upper and lower triangular method. After that,
gain and current-voltage characteristic of PIN APD
were obtained for different widths of absorption
layer. Comparing our results with other experimental
data, demonstrates the accuracy of our model at low
voltages. Impact ionization which are happen in high
electric field which has been studied in this research.

D. S. Franco, K. Vaccaro, W. R. C
Teynor, H. M. Dauplaise, M. Ro
Krejca, and J. P. Lorenzo, High-Perf
InGaAs
InP APDs on GaAs, IEEE P
Technology Letters, vol. 17, no. 4,
874, April 2005.
[5] M. Soroosh, A. Zarifkar, M. R
K. Moravvej-Farshi, A Neural
Model for Determination of
Factor
for
Separate
Absorptio
Multiplication Region Avalanche
SAM-APD, International Confere
Optics & Photonics (ICO), pp. 403-40
2005.
[6] W. Chen and S. Liu, PIN
Photodiodes Model for Circuit

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electroni

32, no. 12, pp. 2105-2111, Dec 1996.
[7] M. Jalali, M. K. Moravvei-Farshi,
Panah and A. Nabavi , An Equivalent
Circuit Model for Thin Avalanche Pho
with Nonuniform Electric Field Profil
Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol
23, pp. 3395-3402, Dec 2010.
[8] M. Soroosh, M. A. Mansouri-Birjandi
Carlo Simulation of Multiplication F
PIN In0.52Al0.48As Avalanche
International Journal of Communica
Information Technology (IJCIT), vol.
pp. 21-24 , Dec 2011.
[9] M. Soroosh, M. K. Moravvej-Farshi
Saghafi, A Simple Empirical
Calculating Gain and Excess N
GaAs Al Ga1 As APDs

Electronics Express, vol. 5, no. 20,

859, April 2008.
[10] D. Vasileska, S. M. Goodnick and
Computational Electronics: Semiclass
Quantum Device Modeling and Sim
CRC Press, 2010.
[11] S. M. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor
John Wiley & Sons, 2007.
[12] S. Selberherr, Analysis and
Springer
Semiconductor Devices,
1984.

www.ijera.com

Job Board

About

Press

106

Blog

Stories

Terms

Privacy

Copyright

We're Hiring!

Help Center

Academia 2015