Fabrication and performance of a novel ultra-low capacitance MSM photodetector for high-speed OEIC receiver applications

We present experimental results obtained from series and series/parallel arranged MSM photodiodes based on lattice-matched InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures on InP substrate with 1 μm thick InGaAs absorption layer and 1.2 μm interdigitated metallization with 1.2 μm spacing. We also present results predicting high-speed performance of OEIC receivers based on these ultra-low capacitance MSM photodiodes and compatible state-of-the-art 0.15 μm gatelength HFETs operated as a cascoded transimpedance amplifier or state-of-the-art HBTs operated in the same fashion These receivers are shown to yield transimpedance of 72 dBn with 3-dB bandwidths of 19.5 GHz, and sensitivity of -28 dBm at the full bandwidth at the standard bit-error-rate of 10^-9