GaAs see the light (photodetectors)

Reported are p-i-n photodetectors using GaAs with As precipitates (GaAs:As) that detect 1.3- mu m light with reasonable efficiency. Since high-performance GaAs electronic circuits can be epitaxially grown on GaAs:As, this work may open the way for an all-GaAs 1.3- mu m optical receiver chip. In the GaAs p-i-n devices, the i layer was a 1- mu m-thick layer of GaAs:As. MSM structures with GaAs:As as the optically active material were also made.