Modeling the effects of interface traps on passive quenching of a Ge/Si Geiger mode avalanche photodiode

The influence of interface donor and acceptor traps on the behavior of Ge/Si separate absorption, charge and multiplication (SACM) Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes (GM-APDs) under passive quenching is modeled. The effects of different trap types on the quenching behavior are investigated in this paper for the first time. Our results show that trap type and trap density significantly influence the APD quenching time and ability to quench for a particular quenching resistor.