AlGaAs/GaAs radiation-hardened photodiode for optoelectronic component applications

Many optoelectronic components for weapons systems application require photodetectors for converting optical signals to electric signals. These detectors generally require radiation tolerance and must be amenable to high reliability fabrication processes. This report describes the features of an Al/sub .3/Ga/sub .7/As/GaAs photodiode which has been designed to operate in ionizing radiation environments. It was first developed in the Compound Semiconductor and Device Research Department (1140) at Sandia National Laboratories. Much of the work described here has been done in order to establish reliable sources for the diode in the private sector to supply the DOE nuclear weapons production complex. We describe the device structures and measurements on the diode which provide information about the quality of the layer growth processes. We summarize the status of the project and point out areas for future work on the device. Finally, we include an Appendix containing calculations of the energy band bending in the active region of the diode. 9 refs., 23 figs., 2 tabs.