Low-noise current optoelectronic integrated receiver with internal equalizer for gigabit-per-second long-wavelength optical communications

An equalizer, which is essential in order to improve the sensitivity of receiver optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs) at a gigabit-per-second data rate, has been monolithically integrated on an InP substrate with a p-i-n photodiode and a high-impedance high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) amplifier. The receiver operated up to 1.6 Gb/s and showed low noise current characteristics. The minimum noise current is less than 4 pA/ square root Hz. The sensitivity calculated from the noise current characteristics is -28.4 dBm for 1.6-Gb/s signals. The receiver chip, which was assembled on a ceramic mount, exhibited a sensitivity of -30.4 dBm at 1.2 Gb/s and 1.3- mu m wavelength. The performance is as good as those of receiver OEICs with an external equalizer and sufficient for practical use in gigabit-per-second optical communication system. >