Photodetector capable of sweeping out unwanted carriers and an optical communication system including the same

摘要

A light absorbing layer is formed in a photodetector that receives and detects light guided therein. Carriers are generated in the light absorbing layer in response to the guided light. Unwanted carriers likely to be generated in regions other than the light absorbing layer when light is guided into the photodetector are swept out by a carrier sweeping arrangement to improve the time response and light-current characteristics of the photodetector.