A novel two-color photodetector based on an InAlAs-InGaAs HEMT layer structure

The spectral responsivity of an InAlAs–InGaAs metal–semiconductor–metal diode above a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is investigated as a function of the applied bias. At low voltages, only the InAlAs layer above the 2DEG contributes to the photocurrent, while the InGaAs channel layer is activated at higher bias. This results in a voltage-dependent spectral response of the photodetector. The ratio of the responsivities at 1300 and 850 nm changes from 0.03- at 1-V to 0.44- at 1.6-V bias. This property makes the device a candidate suitable to detect and to separate optical information originated both from the GaAs (850 nm) and in the InGaAs (1300, 1550 nm)-based optoelectronic technology.