Improved measurement-based modeling of inverted-MSM photodetectors using on-wafer calibration structures

Photodetectors (PDs) are an important active device in optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs), and, for shorter haul interconnections where circuit (e.g. transimpedance amplifier (TIA)) noise may be the dominant noise in receivers, metal-semiconductor-metal photodiodes (MSM PDs) are attractive due to their low capacitance per unit area compared to PIN photodetectors and the ease of monolithic integration with field effect transistors (FETs). Inverted-MSM PDs (I-MSM PDs), which are thin film MSM PDs with the fingers on the bottom of the device, have demonstrated higher responsivities compared to conventional MSM PDs while maintaining small capacitance per unit area, low dark current (∼nA), and high speed. However, the modeling of MSM PDs and I-MSM PDs for insertion into circuit simulators for integrated PD/TIA modeling has not been reported. In this paper, an accurate high-frequency equivalent circuit-level model of thin film I-MSM PDs is obtained using an on-wafer measurement-based modeling technique. This circuit-level model of MSM PDs can be used for capacitance sensitive preamplifier design for co-optimization with widely used simulators. (ADS and HSPICE). The obtained circuit-level model shows good agreement with measured s-parameters.

Duke Scholars

Author Nan Marie Jokerst Electrical and Computer Engineering

Author Martin A. Brooke Electrical and Computer Engineering