Electrical properties of photodiodes based on p-GaSb/p-GaInAsSb/N-GaAlAsSb heterojunctions

We have studied the electrical characteristics of photodiodes based on p-GaSb/p-GaInAsSb/N-GaAlAsSb heterojunctions and investigated the mechanisms of current transfer in these heterostructures at various temperatures. A comparison of the theoretical results and experimental data showed that the tunneling charge transfer mechanism dominates at low temperatures (T < 150 K) under both forward and reverse bias conditions. The tunneling current becomes a determining factor at an electric field strength in the p-n junction of no less that 105 V/cm, which is related to a small bandgap width of the materials studied and low effective masses of electrons and holes.