Metamorphic PIN photodiodes for the 40 Gb/s fiber market

High-speed metamorphic PIN diodes that absorb at 1.55 /spl mu/m wavelength light were fabricated on a GaAs substrate. The In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-based top-illuminated structure showed a low, stable dark current of 7 nA at 10 V reverse bias. The packaged diode demonstrated a -3 dB bandwidth of 52 GHz and 0.52 A/W responsivity. This state-of-the-art diode fabricated on a highly manufacturable GaAs substrate is clearly suitable for the 40 Gbit/s fiber optic telecommunication market, and opens the door for metamorphic OEICs.