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EP0159544A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Avalanche photodiode and its manufacturing method

Assignee: NEC Corp
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Filing: 1985-03-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-03-21
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Abstract

Abstract The avalanche photodiode comprises a light absorbing semiconductor layer (3); an avalanche gain semiconductor layer (4) having a bandgap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; a first p-n junction (5) having a substantially p +- n junction and selectively provided in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer (4); a second p-n junction (5') having a substantially graded p-n junction surrounding the periphery of said first p-n junction (5) and a third p-n junction (5") having a substantially graded p-n junction and surrounding the periphery of said second p-n junction (5'). This heterojunction avalanche photodiode is capable of achieving sufficient and uniform avalanche gain in a stepwise p-n junction region corresponding to its light receiving region before a voltage breakdown occurs in its guard ring.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yoshimasa Sugimoto
  • 👤 Toshitaka Torikai
  • 👤 Kenko Taguchi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 02:40
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/102; H10D62/103; H10D62/105; H10D62/106; H10F; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/22; H10F30/225; H10F30/2255

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 83 words
An avalanche photodiode comprises: a light absorbing semiconductor layer; an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; a first p-n junction having a substantially p +-n junction and selectively provided in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer; a second p-n junction having a substantially graded p-n junction surrounding the periphery of said first p-n junction; and a third p-n junction having a substantially graded p-n junction and surrounding the periphery of said second p-n junction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 83 words
An avalanche photodiode comprises: a light absorbing semiconductor layer; an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; a first p-n junction having a substantially p +-n junction and selectively provided in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer; a second p-n junction having a substantially graded p-n junction surrounding the periphery of said first p-n junction; and a third p-n junction having a substantially graded p-n junction and surrounding the periphery of said second p-n junction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 42 words
An avalanche photodiode, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said second p-n junction is positioned deeper from the upper surface than said first p-n junction and said third p-n junction is positioned shallower from the upper surface than said second p-n junction.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 128 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap larger than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer a substantially p + -n junction; providing a first substantially graded p-n junction around the periphery of said substantially p +- n junction by implanting beryllium ions; and providing a second substantially graded p-n junction around the periphery of said first substantially graded p-n junction and in contact with said periphery by implanting beryllium ions at an accelerating voltage smaller than that for said first substantially graded p-n junction and in a dosage smaller than that for said first substantially graded p-n junction.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 128 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap larger than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer a substantially p + -n junction; providing a first substantially graded p-n junction around the periphery of said substantially p +- n junction by implanting beryllium ions; and providing a second substantially graded p-n junction around the periphery of said first substantially graded p-n junction and in contact with said periphery by implanting beryllium ions at an accelerating voltage smaller than that for said first substantially graded p-n junction and in a dosage smaller than that for said first substantially graded p-n junction.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 113 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer an substantially p + -n junction; and simultaneously forming first and second substantially graded p-n junctions abound the periphery of said substantially p -n junction by implanting beryllium ions into a region through a window selectively bored in an insulating film and through a reduced portion of said insulating film, said reduced portion being thinner than the ion implantation projecting range and surrounding the periphery of said window.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 113 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer an substantially p + -n junction; and simultaneously forming first and second substantially graded p-n junctions abound the periphery of said substantially p -n junction by implanting beryllium ions into a region through a window selectively bored in an insulating film and through a reduced portion of said insulating film, said reduced portion being thinner than the ion implantation projecting range and surrounding the periphery of said window.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 104 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer a substantially p -n junction; implanting beryllium ions into a region in which a window is selectively bored around said substantially p + -n junction; and simultaneously forming first and second substantially graded p-n junctions by performing activation by thermal treatment after partially removing the surface of the periphery of the region into which beryllium ions have been implanted.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 104 words
A method for manufacturing an avalanche photodiode comprising steps of: laying, one over another, a light absorbing semiconductor layer and an avalanche gain semiconductor layer having a band-gap greater than that of said light absorbing semiconductor layer; selectively providing in said avalanche gain semiconductor layer a substantially p -n junction; implanting beryllium ions into a region in which a window is selectively bored around said substantially p + -n junction; and simultaneously forming first and second substantially graded p-n junctions by performing activation by thermal treatment after partially removing the surface of the periphery of the region into which beryllium ions have been implanted.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3391287A Cited
EP0053513A2 Cited
EP0061551A2 Cited
GB2134705A Cited

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