Systematic study of Si-based GeSn photodiodes with 2.6 μm detector cutoff for short-wave infrared detection

Normal-incidence Ge1-xSnx photodiode detectors with Sn compositions of 7 and 10% have been demonstrated. Such detectors were based on Ge/Ge1-xSnx/Ge double heterostructures grown directly on a Si substrate via a chemical vapor deposition system. A temperature-dependence study of these detectors was conducted using both electrical and optical characterizations from 300 to 77 K. Spectral response up to 2.6 mu m was achieved for a 10% Sn device at room temperature. The peak responsivity and specific detectivity (D*) were measured to be 0.3 A/W and 4 x 109 cmHz(1/2)W(-1) at 1.55 mu m, respectively. The spectral D* of a 7% Sn device at 77 K was only one order-of-magnitude lower than that of an extended-InGaAs photodiode operating in the same wavelength range, indicating the promising future of GeSn-based photodetectors. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America