Light-receiving method of an avalanche photodiode and a bias control circuit of the same

a technology of avalanche photodiodes and control circuits, which is applied in the direction of photometry using electric radiation detectors, optical radiation measurement, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of increasing the noise involved in the photo current output of the apd, the complexity of the preparation of the pin-pd independently on the apd, and the insufficient presetting of the apd optical sensitivity, etc., to achieve the effect of small temperature dependen

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-05-05
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC IND LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] One object of the present invention is to provide an optical apparatus, in which a monitor signal with small temperature dependence may be obtained by providing no additional devices except the APD, and to provide a method for controlling the bias voltage to the APD based on thus provided monitor signal.

Problems solved by technology

When a large multiplication factor is set by applying the high reverse bias voltage to the APD, a noise involved in the photo current output from the APD will also increase.
On the contrary, a small multiplication factor leads the optical sensitivity of the APD insufficient to a presetting specification.
However, to prepare the PIN-PD independently on the APD becomes an apparatus to be complex, and to adjust the light-receiving condition between the APD and thus prepared PIN-PD may be a troublesome procedure.
Thus, the independent PIN-PD on the APD may not appropriately control the bias voltage to the APD.

Method used

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  • Light-receiving method of an avalanche photodiode and a bias control circuit of the same
  • Light-receiving method of an avalanche photodiode and a bias control circuit of the same
  • Light-receiving method of an avalanche photodiode and a bias control circuit of the same

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first embodiment

[0025] (First Embodiment)

[0026] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described as referring to accompanying drawings. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are a plan and a sectional view, respectively, they are showing an avalanche photodiode (APD) used in the present invention. The APD 1 includes a heavily doped substrate 2, an n-type active layer 3, a heavily doped p-type diffusion layer 4, an insulating film 6, a p-electrode 7 with a pad 7A, and an n-electrode 8. Further, the APD includes a first sensitivity region PS and a second sensitivity region PM on a primary surface thereof.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1A, the first region PS, which has a multiplication function, is formed in a restricted center region of the surface. The p-electrode 7 formed to surround the first region PS, extracts the pad 7A to which a bias voltage for the PD to be supplied between the n-electrode 8 provided in a whole surface of the back surface of the APD 1. The APD 1 is formed such that (1) the ac...

second embodiment

[0039] (Second Embodiment)

[0040] The bias voltage for the APD is 10 conventionally configured such that, when the optical input becomes large, the multiplication factor may automatically decrease and reduce the bias current. However, the circuit shown in FIG. 4 controls the bias voltage to the APD 10 such that the first signal containing the IS and INO is equal to the monitor signal IM multiplied by the gain G. The magnitude of the light detected at the first region PS is proportional to that detected at the second region PM. as far as the beam spot, the shape and the location on the APD 10, does not change. Therefore, the increase of the signal IS corresponding to the light detected by the first region means that the signal IM corresponding to the light detected by the second region becomes large. Therefore, the APD 10 may be broken by the photo current generated by it self at the condition that a large optical enters. Further, when the photo current generated by the APD 10 becomes...

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Abstract

The present invention provides a method to maintain a multiplication factor of an avalanche photodiode independent on temperatures without additional devices. The light-receiving apparatus of the invention includes an avalanche photodiode (APD), a dividing circuit, and a bias supplying circuit. The APD has a first region, where a significant multiplication factor appears, and a second region without any multiplication factor. The dividing circuit extracts a second signal

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a light-receiving method of an avalanche photodiode (APD) and a bias control circuit for the APD. [0003] 2. Related Prior Art [0004] The APD, which uses a physical phenomenon of the avalanche breakdown of the semiconductor p-n junction at a high reverse bias voltage, has a multiplication factor greater than unity. The multiplication factor means that how many electrical carriers can be generated by a signal photon. Therefore, the APD can generate a large photo current from a weak optical signal. The design or the specification of the circuit connected to the APD strongly depends on how large the multiplication factor thereof is set. The PIN-PD, which is a semiconductor light-receiving device similar to the APD, generally has a multiplication factor smaller than unity because the PIN-PD shows no avalanche breakdown phenomenon. [0005] When a large multiplication factor is set by applyi...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G01J1/42G01J1/02H01L31/00H01L31/10H01L31/107
CPCH01L31/107H01L31/02027
Inventor ICHINO, MORIYASU
Owner SUMITOMO ELECTRIC IND LTD
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