Optoelectronics 1: Devices for optical Communications

PIN and APD Photodiode characteristics

Objective:
To measure a number of the important characteristics of a PIN diode and an Avalanche Photodiode
(APD):
1. Responsivit (Ro) for a PIN diode in both Photoconductive and Photovoltaic modes.
!. Responsivit of an APD
". #ain versus reverse bias for an APD.
Equipment:
$ased PIN Photodiode (%lac& plastic case)
APD Photodiode ('ilver metal case)
()*1!( +m core ',A-to-',A optical fibre patchcord.
./D 0() nm reference li1ht source2 set to -!) d%m (1) +3) at fibre output.
4ptical po5er meter2 Noes 4P, 6 or other
7ariable lo5 volta1e lab po5er suppl ()-1! volts)
8i1h volta1e po5er suppl (9arnell /"() hi1h volta1e "() volt po5er suppl)
Di1ital voltmeter.
!arnin": #i"h $olta"es are uses in this e%ercise and special care should be ta&en at all times'
(ac&"round:
PIN diodes and APDs are the most common devices used to convert li1ht at the output of a fibre into an
electrical current2 5hich can be subse:uentl processed in an electrical receiver. 9urther bac&1round
material is contained in the Appendi; to this e;ercise.
)ethod:
To carr out this e;ercise a stable reference source of li1ht at about 0() nm is needed. A cased ./D
source is provided for this purpose. The ./D source is mains po5ered. The ./D D$ current can be set
b a potentiometer on the front panel of the unit. A pair of terminals is also provided in the front panel of
the ./D source to measure the ./D current. 9or this e;ercise these terminals can be shorted to1ether
usin1 a short lead 5ith 6mm plu1s at each end.
Plu1 in the ./D source and s5itch on usin1 the rear panel s5itch. $onnect the ./D to the optical po5er
meter usin1 the fibre patchcord provided and ad<ust the ./D output po5er level until the measured output
po5er from the fibre is a close as possible to 1) +3 (-!) d%m). Record the e;act value of fibre output
po5er for reference. /nsure that the fibre optic po5er meter is set for operation at 0() nm2 b pressin1 the
&e. The optical po5er level set is no5 the reference source po5er for the rest of the e;ercise and
Optical Communications *+stems ,aborator+- Dr' .erald /arrell 0110
!hen the e%ercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to stora"e and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres- optical sources etc''
should not be altered a"ain. ,a&e sure also that the fibre is not under stress or ti1htl 5ound 5hen
ta&in1 the reference as this could ma&e the reference settin1 invalid.
1' 2esponsivit+ for the PIN diode 3Photoconductive and Photovoltaic modes4'
In the photoconductive mode the PIN photodiode is connected to the 1! 7 suppl. The reference optical
si1nal is connected to the PIN diode and the opticall 1enerated current in the PIN is measured b
measurin1 the volta1e across the 1)) & resistor in series 5ith the PIN diode (the volta1e can be measured
at the %N$ connector).
$alculate the output current from the PIN diode and hence calculate the Responsivit in A*32 based on
the optical input po5er in 3 from the optical source.
In the photovoltaic mode the PIN diode operates 5ithout an e;ternal D$ suppl. To measure the
responsivit in this mode disconnect the 1! 7 suppl and short circuit the red and blac& terminals on the
PIN diode case (this effectivel places the PIN diode in parallel 5ith the 1)) = resistor). No5 measured
the responsivit as above. The photoconductive responsivit should be sli1htl hi1her than the photovoltaic
responsivit. 3h>
0' 2esponsivit+ for the APD
?sin1 the same 1! volts suppl used for the PIN diode measure the responsivit of the APD2 in the same
manner as the PIN diode (photoconductive mode). 9or an APD this measurment is carried out at a lo5
volta1e to ensure that no 1ain is present2 since APD responsivit is normall defined as the value 5ith the
1ain set to 1. The APD is contained in a metal case and is in series 5ith a 1 & resistor. The current in the
APD can be measured b measurin1 the volta1e across this 1 & resistor2 available at the %N$ connector
on the APD case.
5' APD "ain volta"e characteristic
$onnect the APD to the optical po5er source (set above) and to the hi1h volta1e bias suppl2 ta&in" care
not to touch leads etc' 6hen the #$ suppl+ is on' 9or an applied bias volta1e of about ") volts
measure the output volta1e from the APD developed across an internal 1 & resistor and calculate the APD
current2 recordin1 this value as the @N4-#AIN@ current. No5 increase the bias volta1e in !)-") volt steps
and tabulate the output current from the APD in each case. Note that at some sta1e the output current 5ill
increase rapidl for small chan1es in the applied bias volta1e. This means that the bias volta1e is close to
the brea&do5n volta1e for the device. Do not e%ceed this operatin" point as dama"e to the APD
could result'
3hen ou have completed the measurements find the 1ain at each bias volta1e b dividin1 the APD output
current at that bias volta1e b the N4-#AIN value recorded above. 8ence plot the 1ain versus volta1e
characteristic for the APD on 1raph paper.
2esults:
Optical Communications *+stems ,aborator+- Dr' .erald /arrell 0110
!hen the e%ercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to stora"e and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres- optical sources etc''
Record all of the results listed in the para1raphs above. $ompare our responsivit values 5ith the tpical
values found in the literature for such devices.
Optical Communications *+stems ,aborator+- Dr' .erald /arrell 0110
!hen the e%ercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to stora"e and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres- optical sources etc''
(ac&"round information on PIN and APD Photodiode characteristics
1' Optical detectors
% definition photodetectors convert li1ht si1nals to electrical si1nals 5hich can then be processed further. 9or fiber
optic applications photodetectors 5or& at standard 5avelen1ths around 0()2 1"") and 1(() nanometers. 'uitable
photodiodes ma be either Pin diodes or avalanche photo diodes (APDAs). In either case the operatin1 5avelen1th
determines the material used2 for e;ample 'i bein1 emploed at 0))-B)) nm and #/ or allos of In2 #A2 As and P at 1"")
nm.
Pin diodes and APDAs are variations on a basic depletion laer photodiode in 5hich reverse current is altered b
absorption of li1ht at the correct 5avelen1th. APDAs differ from Pin diodes in that APDAs have 1ain so that 5ith the
correct circuitr better sensitivit can be achieved 5ith APDAs.
0' Definitions for Photodiodes:
Cuantum efficienc is defined for photodiodes as the fraction of incident photons havin1 sufficient ener1 to liberate
electrons. The smbol used is R and b definition it is dependent both on 5ave-len1th and photodiode material.
Responsivit of a photodiode is a practical measure of output current for a 1iven optical po5er input. It is defined as
avera1e output current divided b avera1e incident optical po5er so its units are A*3.
Photoconductive mode and Photovoltaic mode. A PIN diode can be operated 5ith an e;ternal bias volta1e (tpicall up
to 1( 7 D$). Ths is called the photoconductive mode 5ere opticall 1enerated carriers are s5ept out of the device as a
current under the influence of the e;ternall applied field. In the photovoltaic mode no e;ternal bias is applied and the
carriers are s5ept out of the device to form an e;ternal current b the internal depletion field in the device.
#ain is the multiplication of the primar photon current. #ain e;ists in APDAs onl and is defined as the ratio of the
output current at an operatin1 volta1e to the current at a lo5 volta1e 5here the 1ain is unit2 that is no multiplication
occurs. In effect2 the primar photon current is multiplied b collision ionisation in a hi1h field area. A tpical 1ain
characteristic is sho5n belo5:
Breakdown
1000
Voltage
100
10
1 1 10 100
Gain versus reverse bias voltage for
an Avalanche Photodiode
Dar& $urrent
In the absence of li1ht a small dar& current flo5s in a photodiode 5hich is caused b lea&a1e in the reverse biased
photodiode. It has a ver small effect in the performance of a receiver in terms of sensitivit and is i1nored in an further
analsis. It has been sho5n that dar& currents less than ).l nA have ver little effect. 9inall photodiodes normall
e;hibit rise and fall times less than one nano-second. In APDAs the depletion capacitance increases rapidl belo5 a
certain reverse bias volta1eD so to maintain fast rise and fall times a minimum bias volta1e is maintained.
Optical Communications *+stems ,aborator+- Dr' .erald /arrell 0110
!hen the e%ercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to stora"e and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres- optical sources etc''
Optical Communications *+stems ,aborator+- Dr' .erald /arrell 0110
!hen the e%ercise is complete please return all test equipment and leads used to stora"e and ensure that all protective
dust covers are replaced on fibres- optical sources etc''