Investigation and Explanation of PiPiN Avalanche Photo-Diode Characteristics

Introduction

In this article, the operation of avalanche photo-diodes in the medium gain, continuous operation mode is investigated. In other words, we are not considering diode operation in transient “Gieger” or “single photon” detection mode, but rather in a region safely below secondary breakdown, where a well-designed avalanche photo diode can exhibit a moderate photo-generated current multiplication factor of an order of magnitude or higher.