IV-VI semiconductor lateral-collection photodiodes

The lateral-collection photodiode (LCP) is a novel device in which the p-n junction of a conventional photodiode is replaced by a matrix of small p-n junctions that collect photogenerated minority carriers from the intervening region. The LCP offers reduced capacitance and, in some cases, increased detectivity. IV-VI semiconductor LCP’s for the 3–5-μm spectral region show a capacitance reduction by up to a factor of 20 and a Johnson-noise-limited detectivity increase by up to a factor of 3 relative to a conventional photodiode in the same material.