Modeling and performance of wafer-fused resonant-cavity enhanced photodetectors

We discuss wavelength tuning and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects in a resonant-cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetector. Specific design conditions are made for a thin In_0.53Ga_0.47As (900 Å) photodetector wafer-fused to a GaAs-AlAs quarter wavelength stacks (QWS). Analytic expressions for the calculation of resonant wavelength and standing wave effects are derived, using a hard mirror concept of fixed phase upon reflection, and are found to agree reasonably well with the exact numerical approach, using a transmission matrix method. We then experimentally demonstrate that wavelength tuning as large as 140 nm and its corresponding quantum efficiency modulated by the standing wave effects are clearly observed in our wafer-fused photodetectors, consistent with the predictions. The external quantum efficiency at 1.3 μm wavelength and absorption bandwidth for the wafer-fused RCE photodiodes integrated with an amorphous Si-SiO₂ dielectric mirror are measured to be 94% and 14 nm, respectively. This technique allows the formation of multichannel photodetectors with high quantum efficiency and small crosstalk, suitable for application to wavelength demultiplexing and high-speed, high-sensitivity optical communication systems