Waveguide photodetectors for high speed digital communication systems

Waveguide p-i-n photodiodes are compared to top illuminated devices for high speed operation. A design approach for waveguide p-i-n photodetectors using a single epitaxial growth and common fabrication processes is presented and compared to measured results. Fabricated devices showing over 50 GHz bandwidth, 0.9 A/W pigtailed responsivity, 10 mA CW photocurrent handling and less than 0.1 dB polarization dependence are presented.