High Gain, Position Sensitive, Avalanche Photodiode for Optical Communication

This Phase I SBIR describes the fabrication and characterization of a position sensitive detector with internal gain. During this program, Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD) will fabricate several position sensitive avalanche photodiodes (APDs), including both quadrant and lateral-effect photodiodes. Using RMD's advanced planar processing technology, the position sensitive detectors will be optimized with emphasis on pointing applications for free-space optical communication systems. The internal gain of the APDs allows the detector to obtain higher responsivity than is presently available with ordinary silicon photodiodes, leading to superior spatial resolution. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a high speed, high gain, low noise position-sensitive APD module. The APD and electronics will be included in the module to produce a valuable tool for long distance communication and LADAR operation.