10 GHz radiation-hardened photodiode to fly on satellite lidar

June 1, 2006
A radiation-hardened indium gallium arsenide photodiode developed by researchers at Discovery Semiconductors (Ewing, NJ) and Tesat Spacecom (Backnang, Germany) for space applications has a bandwidth that exceeds 10 GHz.

A radiation-hardened indium gallium arsenide photodiode developed by researchers at Discovery Semiconductors (Ewing, NJ) and Tesat Spacecom (Backnang, Germany) for space applications has a bandwidth that exceeds 10 GHz. Mounted on an alumina substrate, the 30 µm diameter photodiode is sensitive from 800 to 1700 nm, with a broad peak between about 1300 and 1600 nm; at 1064 nm, its responsivity is 0.45 A/W with an optical-return loss of 40 dB. Radiation testing (while fiber-coupled to light sources at 1300 and 1550 nm) included irradiation by 50 kRad of gamma rays, as well as protons at a fluence of 3 x 1011/cm2, with no change to the device’s bandwidth, responsivity, or dark current.

Fabricated using a dual-depletion process, the p-i-n photodetector will become part of a reference-laser head (a seed laser for UV lidar) in the Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument that will be flown on the European Space Agency’s ADM-Aeolus Earth-observation satellite to be launched in 2007. Reliability testing for the detector showed 0.011 and 15.384 failures per billions of hours of operations at 25°C and 75°C, respectively. Contact Abhay Joshi at [email protected].

Sponsored Recommendations

Advancing Neuroscience Using High-Precision 3D Printing

March 7, 2025
Learn how Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Used High-Precision 3D Printing to Advance Neuroscience Research using 3D Printed Optical Drives.

From Prototyping to Production: How High-Precision 3D Printing is Reinventing Electronics Manufacturing

March 7, 2025
Learn how micro 3D printing is enabling miniaturization. As products get smaller the challenge to manufacture small parts increases.

Sputtered Thin-film Coatings

Feb. 27, 2025
Optical thin-film coatings can be deposited by a variety of methods. Learn about 2 traditional methods and a deposition process called sputtering.

What are Notch Filters?

Feb. 27, 2025
Notch filters are ideal for applications that require nearly complete rejection of a laser line while passing as much non-laser light as possible.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!