Product Portfolio
AMS Technologies offers a broad variety of detectors and arrays that are based on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs). General-purpose InGaAs photodiodes are available as well as large active area, segmented, back-illuminated diodes or InGaAs photodiode arrays.
For high-performance applications, AMS Technologies also provides InGaAs PIN photodiodes as well as InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs). In addition to the photodiode devices, our InGaAs detector assemblies include photodiode-amplifier hybrids, mini-DIL optical receivers or pigtail assemblies.
General-purpose InGaAs Photodiodes
Our general purpose InGaAs photodiode series is available in 3-lead isolated TO-46 cans with AR-coated windows or micro lenses as well as with FC, SC, ST and SMA receptacles. Additional series of general-purpose InGaAs photodiodes come in molded plastic, SMD 1206 and hermetic TO packages, designed for applications requiring low dark current, high reliability and high sensitivity.
We also carry various series of InGaAs monitor photodiodes mounted on metalized or gull wing ceramic substrates with active areas from 70 to 500 µm, some of them featuring angled substrate to reduce optical backreflection or a glass window attached to the ceramic. The series of large active area InGaAs photodiodes features active area diameters of up to 3 mm. Designed to be flip chip mounted or assembled face down, the back-illuminated InGaAs photodiodes can help to minimize the overall dimensions.
PIN and Avalanche InGaAs Photodiodes
A series of InGaAs PIN photodiodes is available in TO-5, TO-8 or TO-18 package, some models with single or dual thermoelectric cooler (TEC) included in the package. We also carry a series of high-performance InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs), comprising high-speed, large-area devices optimized for use at 1550 nm.
Segmented InGaAs Photodiodes, Arrays
The series of segmented InGaAs photodiodes with high response uniformity and low crosstalk between the elements is ideal for accurate nulling or centering as well as beam profiling applications. InGaAs photodiode arrays are available with 4, 8, 12 and 16 channels.
InGaAs Detector Assemblies
The portfolio comprises several series of InGaAs photodiode and amplifier hybrids, integrating the InGaAs photodetector and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) in the same package. InGaAs photodiode-amplifier hybrids are available for high-speed communication with up to 622 Mbps or 2.5 Gbps. Devices with integrated burst-mode TIA can even lift the input data rate to 10 Gbps burst.
InGaAs photodiode pigtail assemblies feature high-speed InGaAs detectors in a dedicated TO package with the fiber pigtail optically aligned to the InGaAs diode. Dedicated pigtail assemblies are available for OTDR applications or single photon avalanche detection. A photodiode pigtail assembly in mini-DIL form factor completes the product range.
Related Products
Complementing our InGaAs detectors and arrays, we also offer a broad range of additional discrete detectors and arrays based on other materials like silicon (for visible to near-IR wavelengths) or PbS/PbSe (for higher wavelengths further into the infrared domain). Other discrete detectors and arrays available from AMS Technologies include devices based on materials like HgCdTe, InAs/InAsSb or GaAs, but also balanced photodetectors, integrated optical receiver modules or infrared detection modules.
For detecting or recording even larger two-dimensional arrays of pixels, have a look at our range of cameras, including CCD and CMOS cameras, IR cameras and x-ray cameras.
Guiding and focusing light onto optical detectors can be done using AMS Technologies’ broad portfolio of optics components like optical lenses, optical filters or optical windows, as well as our optical fibers.
Definition
The essential component of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) detectors and arrays is usually an InGaAs photodiode – a semiconductor light sensor based on InGaAs. Light falling on the p-n or PIN junction within the active area of a photodiode generates an electric current due to the internal photoelectric effect (for details see Discrete Detectors and Arrays). The sensitivity range of InGaAs photodiodes is approximately between 800 and 2600 nm. Compared to semiconductor materials with similarly high sensitivity in the infrared range, such as germanium, indium gallium arsenide has a smaller dark current and a faster response time for the same detector size.
Key properties of InGaAs photodiodes are the size of the sensor’s active area, the spectral wavelength range, the radiometric sensitivity (photocurrent intensity per incident light power, in A/W), the wavelength with the highest sensitivity (peak wavelength), the average noise power (NEP, Noise Equivalent Power, in W/√Hz) and the maximum dark current. InGaAs photodiodes are available in a wide variety of sizes, designs and packages, from hermetically sealed TO packages to plastic molded devices and SMT designs based on metalized ceramic substrates.
Multi-element and Segmented InGaAs Detectors, Arrays, PSDs
While multi-element InGaAs detector arrays are made of multiple, lined-up, separate photodiodes, segmented position sensing detectors (PSDs) consist of a sensor surface that is segmented to align a light beam or determine the position at which the beam hits the sensor.
In segmented PSDs, the common photodiode substrate is usually divided into two (one-dimensional) or four segments of equal size, separated by a gap or dead region. For correct operation, the diameter of the light beam to be measured must be larger than this gap, and the beam must hit at least parts of all of the segments.
InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs)
Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have a higher sensitivity and a higher speed compared to standard InGaAs diodes. In addition to the internal photoelectric effect generating a photocurrent, these components use the avalanche effect for internal amplification. InGaAs APDs are suitable as detectors for very low-intensity radiation and even single photon counting in the infrared domain (800 to 2600 nm).
Applications
InGaAs photodiodes are used in a wide range of applications such as spectroscopy, medical imaging, laser beam alignment, analytics, surface characterization, optical position sensing or optical communication.
Alternative Terms: InGaAs Optical Detector; InGaAs Optical Array; InGaAs Avalanche Photodiode; InGaAs APD; InGaAs Detector Module
