Resonant tunneling diode with a multiplication region for light detection

A resonant tunneling diode (RTD) with a multiplication region is designed for light detection in this paper. Via adding a n+–i–p+ multiplication region, we focus on promoting the photocurrent and light sensitivity of the detector. Through the calculation of the multiplication factor, the thickness of the multiplication region is determined. The influence factors of the electric field and potential distribution of the detector are investigated, thereby the thickness and doping concentration of the doped layers besides the double-barrier structure (DBS) are decided. Detectors with and without a multiplication region are fabricated from semiconductor heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The current–voltage (I–V) and light sensitivity tests show that the detector with a multiplication region has better performance in peak photocurrent and light sensitivity.