Effect of high dose γ-ray irradiation on GaAs p-i-n photodetectors

Metal organic vapor phase epitaxy grown GaAs p-i-n photodetector devices are fabricated and tested for the assessment of practical usage of the detector after the exposure to high radiation doses of γ-ray. Increased values of saturation current, ideality factor and leakage current after 360 kGy γ-ray irradiation confirm a substantial increase in the number of generation-recombination centers. It is further observed that the leakage current density, current per unit volume (Jv), increases linearly with the radiation fluence (Φ). The slope (α=ΔJv/ΔΦ) of the leakage current density versus γ-ray radiation fluences curve is two order less (4-5×10−l9 A/cm) for GaAs compared to Si (4-6×10−l7 A/cm). The lower value of α (radiation damage constant) confirms that GaAs is radiation harder than Si. Subsequently, it is also observed that the photo response of 360 kGy γ-ray irradiated GaAs device is reduced by ~50% due to the reduction of quantum efficiency by the radiation induced generation-recombination centers. The functionality of the irradiated sensor is verified by comparing the response of the pristine and irradiated detectors to the photoluminescence of semiconductor quantum well structures.