Noise and Breakdown Characterization of SPAD Detectors with Time-Gated Photon-Counting Operation

Being ready-to-detect over a certain portion of time makes the time-gated single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) an attractive candidate for low-noise photon-counting applications. A careful SPAD noise and performance characterization, however, is critical to avoid time-consuming experimental optimization and redesign iterations for such applications. Here, we present an extensive empirical study of the breakdown voltage, as well as the dark-count and afterpulsing noise mechanisms for a fully integrated time-gated SPAD detector in 0.35-μm CMOS based on experimental data acquired in a dark condition. An “effective” SPAD breakdown voltage is introduced to enable efficient characterization and modeling of the dark-count and afterpulsing probabilities with respect to the excess bias voltage and the gating duration time. The presented breakdown and noise models will allow for accurate modeling and optimization of SPAD-based detector designs, where the SPAD noise can impose severe trade-offs with speed and sensitivity as is shown via an example.

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Design of a Real-Time Breakdown Voltage and On-Chip Temperature Monitoring System for Single Photon Avalanche Diodes

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10010025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

Shijie Deng ◽

Alan P. Morrison ◽

Yong Guo ◽

Chuanxin Teng ◽

Ming Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Breakdown Voltage ◽

Count Rate ◽

Single Photon ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Temperature Monitoring ◽

Dark Count ◽

Chip Temperature ◽

Avalanche Diodes ◽

On Chip

The design and implementation of a real-time breakdown voltage and on-chip temperature monitoring system for single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) is described in this work. In the system, an on-chip shaded (active area of the detector covered by a metal layer) SPAD is used to provide a dark count rate for the breakdown voltage and temperature calculation. A bias circuit was designed to provide a bias voltage scanning for the shaded SPAD. A microcontroller records the pulses from the anode of the shaded SPAD and calculates its real-time dark count rate. An algorithm was developed for the microcontroller to calculate the SPAD’s breakdown voltage and the on-chip temperature in real time. Experimental results show that the system is capable of measuring the SPAD’s breakdown voltage with a mismatch of less than 1.2%. Results also show that the system can provide real-time on-chip temperature monitoring for the range of −10 to 50 °C with errors of less than 1.7 °C. The system proposed can be used for the real-time SPAD’s breakdown voltage and temperature estimation for dual-SPADs or SPAD arrays chip where identical detectors are fabricated on the same chip and one or more dummy SPADs are shaded. With the breakdown voltage and the on-chip temperature monitoring, intelligent control logic can be developed to optimize the performance of the SPAD-based photon counting system by adjusting the parameters such as excess bias voltage and dead-time. This is particularly useful for SPAD photon counting systems used in complex working environments such as the applications in 3D LIDAR imaging for geodesy, geology, geomorphology, forestry, atmospheric physics and autonomous vehicles.

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Automated Characterization of Single-Photon Avalanche Photodiode

IIUM Engineering Journal ◽

10.31436/iiumej.v12i5.243 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Aina Mardhiyah M. Ghazali ◽

Audun Nystad Bugge ◽

Sebastien Sauge ◽

Vadim Makarov

Keyword(s):

Detection Efficiency ◽

Single Photon ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Avalanche Photodiode ◽

Dark Count ◽

Photon Detector ◽

Single Photon Detector ◽

Photon Detection ◽

Photon Detection Efficiency

We report an automated characterization of a single-photon detector based on commercial silicon avalanche photodiode (PerkinElmer C30902SH). The photodiode is characterized by I-V curves at different illumination levels (darkness, 10 pW and 10 µW), dark count rate and photon detection efficiency at different bias voltages. The automated characterization routine is implemented in C++ running on a Linux computer. ABSTRAK: Kami melaporkan pencirian pengesan foton tunggal secara automatik berdasarkan kepada diod foto runtuhan silikon (silicon avalanche photodiode) (PerkinElmer C30902SH) komersial. Pencirian diod foto adalah berdasarkan kepada plot arus-voltan (I-V) pada tahap pencahayaan yang berbeza (kelam - tanpa cahaya, 10pW, dan 10µW), kadar bacaan latar belakang, kecekapan pengesanan foton pada voltan picuan yang berbeza. Pengaturcaraan C++ digunakan di dalam rutin pencirian automatik melalui komputer dengan sistem pengendalian LINUX.KEYWORDS: avalanche photodiode (APD); single photon detector; photon counting; experiment automation

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Time-Correlated Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Based on a Silicon Photomultiplier and Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Technique

Applied Spectroscopy ◽

10.1366/12-06736 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 136-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Chunling Zhang ◽

Liying Zhang ◽

Ru Yang ◽

Kun Liang ◽

Dejun Han

Keyword(s):

Single Photon ◽

Photon Counting ◽

Light Level ◽

Sers Spectrum ◽

Silicon Photomultiplier ◽

Temporal Separation ◽

Single Photon Counting ◽

Surface Enhanced Raman ◽

And Performance ◽

High Fluorescence

We report a time-correlated Raman spectroscopy technique based on a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) technique to exploit the natural temporal separation between Raman and fluorescence phenomena to alleviate the high fluorescence background with conventional Raman detection. The TCSPC technique employed can greatly reduce the effect of high dark count rate (DCR) and crosstalk of SiPM that seriously hinder its application in low light level detection. The operating principle and performance of the 400 ps time resolution system are discussed along with the improvement of the peak-to-background ratio (PBR) for bulk trinitrotoluene (TNT) Raman spectrum relative to a commercial Raman spectrometer with charge coupled device (CCD). The fluorescence lifetime for solid TNT and Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) spectrum for 10−6 mol/L trace TNT have also been obtained by this system, showing excellent versatility and convenience in spectroscopy measurement.

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