Detection efficiencies for InP, InAlAs, and InAlAs-InP single-photon avalanche photodiodes

In this paper, theoretical results on the dependence of the single-photon quantum efficiency (SPQE) on the type of material of the multiplication region (MR) as well as its structure and width are presented. We consider SPADs with hole-injection InP MRs, electron-injection In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As MRs, and hole-injection In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As-InP heterojunction I/sup 2/E MRs. The model uses generalized breakdown probabilities based on the hard-threshold dead-space multiplication theory. The main mechanism for dark-carrier generation considered in this paper is tunneling current, which dominates other sources of dark carriers at the high electric fields beyond breakdown.