Photodiode
A photodiode is a light-sensitive semiconductor device having a PN junction that coverts light into an electrical signal. A photodiode responds to incident electromagnetic radiation by converting the radiation into electrical energy, thereby enabling measurement of the intensity of the incident radiation. A photodiode utilizes the electrical field of a PN junction to capture charge carriers generated by light or to separate electron/hole pairs. The electric current produced by a photodiode varies according to the generation of carriers in response to incident photons, thus providing a useful method for converting optical signals into electrical signals. Photodiode arrays are used to detect light signals incident to the photodiode surfaces. Light signals incident to the photodiode surfaces will generate electrical signals that are representative of the light signals. A photodiode can function as an interface, which reads and writes data stored in an optical disk or which transmits signals to a servo by converting optical signals into electrical signals. Photodiodes are popular in applications that use light signals to carry and retrieve information. The use of a photodiode array allows the application to compare incoming light signal strengths at adjacent photodiodes, which allows adjustment of aspects such as the tracking or focus of the system. A PIN photodiode comprises a P-type semiconductor, a N-type semiconductor, and an intrinsic semiconductor layer interposed there-between. The PIN photodiode is typically used as a light-receiving element for converting an optical signal into an electric signal as it possessesexcellent characteristics in converting incident photons into electrons. An avalanche photodiodes typically include a planar-type avalanche photodiode and a mesa-type avalanche photodiode, both of which have a common structure of a multiplicity of stacked layers with an amplifying layer and an absorbing layer on a semiconductor substrate. Avalanche photodiodes are incorporated in many high performance optical communications, imaging and sensing applications because they enable high signal to noise ratio and high-speed operation.
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