DEVELOPMENT OF 1.30 MICRON AND 1.55 MICRON LPE AND MOCVD HGCDTE AVALANCHE PHOTODIODES

AN URGENT NEED EXISTS FOR AN AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE WITH PERFORMANCE COMPARABLE TO SILICON APD TO USE IN THE 1.30 MICRON AND 1.55 MICRON WAVELENGTHS. BECAUSE OF THE BASIC LIMITATIONS OF ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF THE CANDIDATE MATERIALS, E.G., GE, INGAASP AND GAA1ASSB, CONVENTIONAL APD FABRICATED IN THESE MATERIALS WILL HAVE HIGH EXCESS NOISE FACTOR. A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA, BY CAPASSO, ET A1(5), IS TO MAKE A SOLID STATE PHOTOMULTIPLIER, THE STAIRCASE APD, BASED ON HETEROJUNCTIONS. THE MATERIAL SYSTEM BEST SUITED FOR THAT IS HGCDTE/CDTE. WE PROPOSE TO USE MOCVD TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED HGCDTE/CDTE MULTILAYER STRUCTURE FOR THE STAIRCASE APD. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS ATTRACTIVE SINCE IT OFFERS QUANTUM JUMP IN PAY-OFF IN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE YET IS BASED ON SOUND THEORETICAL BASIS WITH NEARLY PROVEN MATERIAL FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY.