Ultrafast 1.55 /spl mu/m sensitive photoconductor obtained by ion-irradiated InGaAs layer

Ion-irradiated InGaAs lattice-matched to InP has been explored in this work and used as the active layer of new photoconductors. Photoconductors with an ion-irradiated InGaAs layer of 0.3 /spl mu/m thickness have been fabricated and the samples were grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy lattice-matched to InP substrate. The InGaAs layers were irradiated either by 200 MeV heavy-ion (Au/sup +/) at fluences from 1/spl times/10/sup 10/ to 1/spl times/10/sup 12/ ions/cm/sup 2/ or by 1MeV light ion (H/sup +/) at fluences from 1/spl times/10/sup 13/ to 1/spl times/10/sup 15/ cm/sup 2/. Hall measurements have also been performed on ion irradiated InGaAs layers. We have shown that the ion irradiation of InGaAs layers provides subpicosecond carrier lifetime while preserving good electrical properties of the material. Ion-irradiated InGaAs is very promising for the fabrication of 1.55 /spl mu/m ultrafast sensitive photoconductors.