An avalanche photo-detector (APD) is disclosed, which can reduce device capacitance,
operating voltage, carrier transport time and dark current as well as increasing
response speed and output power. Thus, an avalanche photo-detector (APD) with high
saturation power, high gain-bandwidth product, low noise, fast response, low dark
current is achieved. The APD includes an absorption layer with graded doping for
converting an incident light into carriers, an undoped multiplication layer for
multiplying current by means of receiving carriers, a doped field buffer layer
sandwiched between the absorption layer and the multiplication layer for concentrating
an electric field in the multiplication layer when a bias voltage is applied, and
an undoped drift layer sandwiched between the absorption layer and the field buffer
layer for capacitance reduction.