A Physics Based Multiscale Compact Model of p-i-n Avalanche Photodiodes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physics-based, multiscale compact model for p-i-n avalanche photodiodes that accurately captures their physical behavior for integrated photonics circuit simulations, leveraging parameters from advanced quantum and statistical models.

Contribution

It presents a novel SPICE-compatible compact model for III-V material APDs based on parameters from EDTB, DFT, and MC methods, enabling precise simulation of their physical characteristics.

Findings

Model accurately captures APD physical characteristics

Enables integration into photonics circuit simulations

Supports operation across infrared spectrum

Abstract

III-V material based digital alloy Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) have recently been found to exhibit low noise similar to Silicon APDs. The III-V materials can be chosen to operate at any wavelength in the infrared spectrum. In this work, we present a physics-based SPICE compatible compact model for APDs built from parameters extracted from an Environment-Dependent Tight Binding (EDTB) model calibrated to ab-initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods. Using this approach, we can accurately capture the physical characteristics of these APDs in integrated photonics circuit simulations.