Temperature dependence of dark current in a p-i-n photodiode incorporating a resonant tunneling structure

Analyses of the slope variations, as a function of temperature, of the dark current-voltage curves obtained in the case of p-i-n diodes incorporating in their intrinsic region a double barrier single quantum well (QW) structure indicate that below the flat band condition a conduction mechanism by tunneling assisted by recombination centers prevails over most of the temperature range considered (20-300 K). Above the flat band condition and for temperatures below 180 K, negative differential resistance (NDR) regions displaying Z-shaped bistability were observed. The appearance of these NDRs is attributed to resonant tunneling of holes via the lowest light-hole subband in the QW and electrons via the second quasi-bound level in the conduction band.