Optical characterization of deep level defects in n-type Al$_x$In$_y$Ga$_{1-x-y}$P for development of solid-state photomultiplier analogs

Abstract

Characterizing intrinsic defects is an important step in evaluating materials for new optoelectronic device applications. For photomultipliers, suppressing dark currents is critical, but there exists a tradeoff between maximizing the band gap while remaining sensitive to the wavelength of interest, and minimizing the incorporation of new defects by growing not-yet-optimized alloys. We present a series of capacitance-based measurements, including deep level optical spectroscopy, steady-state photocapacitance and illuminated capacitance-voltage, on photodiodes with lightly \textit{n}-type Al$_x$In$_y$Ga$_{1-x-y}$P absorber regions. Several deep levels are identified, including one near midgap. While the inclusion of aluminum increases each trap density by approximately 10x, the hole capture cross section also appears to decrease, suggesting that Shockley-Read-Hall dark currents may be suppressed. These materials may be good candidates for development into silicon photomultiplier analogs with wider bandgap for scintillator applications.