Rad Tolerant CMOS Image Sensor Based on Hole Collection 4T Pixel Pinned Photodiode

1.4μm pixel pitch CMOS Image sensors based on hole collection pinned photodiode (HPD) have been irradiated with 60Co source. The HPD sensors exhibit much lower dark current degradation than equivalent commercial sensors using an Electron collection Pinned Photodiode (EPD). This hardness improvement is mainly attributed to carrier accumulation near the interfaces induced by the generated positive charges in dielectrics. The pre-eminence of this image sensor based on hole collection pinned photodiode architectures in ionizing environments is demonstrated

Inter-Pixel Crosstalk in Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS) H4RG-10 Detectors

CMOS-hybrid arrays have recently surfaced as competitive optical detectors for use in ground- and space-based astronomy. One source of error in these detectors that does not appear in more traditional CCD arrays is the inter-pixel capacitance component of crosstalk. In this paper we use a single pixel reset method to model inter-pixel capacitance (IPC). We combine this IPC model with a model for charge diffusion to estimate the total crosstalk on H4RG arrays. Finally, we compare our model results to Fe55 data obtained using an astrometric camera built to test the H4RG-B0 generation detectors.Comment: Accepted to Applied Optics 03-26-1

Feasibility of Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes in CMOS standard technologies for tracker detectors

The next generation of particle colliders will be characterized by linear lepton colliders, where the collisions between electrons and positrons will allow to study in great detail the new particle discovered at CERN in 2012 (presumably the Higgs boson). At present time, there are two alternative projects underway, namely the ILC (International Linear Collider) and CLIC (Compact LInear Collider). From the detector point of view, the physics aims at these particle colliders impose such extreme requirements, that there is no sensor technology available in the market that can fulfill all of them. As a result, several new detector systems are being developed in parallel with the accelerator. This thesis presents the development of a GAPD (Geiger-mode Avalanche PhotoDiode) pixel detector aimed mostly at particle tracking at future linear colliders. GAPDs offer outstanding qualities to meet the challenging requirements of ILC and CLIC, such as an extraordinary high sensitivity, virtually infinite gain and ultra-fast response time, apart from compatibility with standard CMOS technologies. In particular, GAPD detectors enable the direct conversion of a single particle event onto a CMOS digital pulse in the sub-nanosecond time scale without the utilization of either preamplifiers or pulse shapers. As a result, GAPDs can be read out after each single bunch crossing, a unique quality that none of its competitors can offer at the moment. In spite of all these advantages, GAPD detectors suffer from two main problems. On the one side, there exist noise phenomena inherent to the sensor, which induce noise pulses that cannot be distinguished from real particle events and also worsen the detector occupancy to unacceptable levels. On the other side, the fill-factor is too low and gives rise to a reduced detection efficiency. Solutions to the two problems commented that are compliant with the severe specifications of the next generation of particle colliders have been thoroughly investigated. The design and characterization of several single pixels and small arrays that incorporate some elements to reduce the intrinsic noise generated by the sensor are presented. The sensors and the readout circuits have been monolithically integrated in a conventional HV-CMOS 0.35 μm process. Concerning the readout circuits, both voltage-mode and current-mode options have been considered. Moreover, the time-gated operation has also been explored as an alternative to reduce the detected sensor noise. The design and thorough characterization of a prototype GAPD array, also monolithically integrated in a conventional 0.35 μm HV-CMOS process, is presented in the thesis as well. The detector consists of 10 rows x 43 columns of pixels, with a total sensitive area of 1 mm x 1 mm. The array is operated in a time-gated mode and read out sequentially by rows. The efficiency of the proposed technique to reduce the detected noise is shown with a wide variety of measurements. Further improved results are obtained with the reduction of the working temperature. Finally, the suitability of the proposed detector array for particle detection is shown with the results of a beam-test campaign conducted at CERN-SPS (European Organization for Nuclear Research-Super Proton Synchrotron). Apart from that, a series of additional approaches to improve the performance of the GAPD technology are proposed. The benefits of integrating a GAPD pixel array in a 3D process in terms of overcoming the fill-factor limitation are examined first. The design of a GAPD detector in the Global Foundries 130 nm/Tezzaron 3D process is also presented. Moreover, the possibility to obtain better results in light detection applications by means of the time-gated operation or correction techniques is analyzed too.Aquesta tesi presenta el desenvolupament d’un detector de píxels de GAPDs (Geiger-mode Avalanche PhotoDiodes) dedicat principalment a rastrejar partícules en futurs col•lisionadors lineals. Els GAPDs ofereixen unes qualitats extraordinàries per satisfer els requisits extremadament exigents d’ILC (International Linear Collider) i CLIC (Compact LInear Collider), els dos projectes per la propera generació de col•lisionadors que s’han proposat fins a dia d’avui. Entre aquestes qualitats es troben una sensibilitat extremadament elevada, un guany virtualment infinit i una resposta molt ràpida, a part de ser compatibles amb les tecnologies CMOS estàndard. En concret, els detectors de GAPDs fan possible la conversió directa d’un esdeveniment generat per una sola partícula en un senyal CMOS digital amb un temps inferior al nanosegon. Com a resultat d’aquest fet, els GAPDs poden ser llegits després de cada bunch crossing (la col•lisió de les partícules), una qualitat única que cap dels seus competidors pot oferir en el moment actual. Malgrat tots aquests avantatges, els detectors de GAPDs pateixen dos grans problemes. D’una banda, existeixen fenòmens de soroll inherents al sensor, els quals indueixen polsos de soroll que no poden ser distingits dels esdeveniments reals generats per partícules i que a més empitjoren l’ocupació del detector a nivells inacceptables. D’altra banda, el fill-factor (és a dir, l’àrea sensible respecte l’àrea total) és molt baix i redueix l’eficiència detectora. En aquesta tesi s’han investigat solucions als dos problemes comentats i que a més compleixen amb les especificacions altament severes dels futurs col•lisionadors lineals. El detector de píxels de GAPDs, el qual ha estat monolíticament integrat en un procés HV-CMOS estàndard de 0.35 μm, incorpora circuits de lectura en mode voltatge que permeten operar el sensor en l’anomenat mode time-gated per tal de reduir el soroll detectat. L’eficiència de la tècnica proposada queda demostrada amb la gran varietat d’experiments que s’han dut a terme. Els resultats del beam-test dut a terme al CERN indiquen la capacitat del detector de píxels de GAPDs per detectar partícules altament energètiques. A banda d’això, també s’han estudiat els beneficis d’integrar un detector de píxels de GAPDs en un procés 3D per tal d’incrementar el fill-factor. L’anàlisi realitzat conclou que es poden assolir fill-factors superiors al 90%

Active gating as a method to inhibit the crosstalk of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes in a shared well

This work presents low noise readout circuits for silicon pixel detectors based on Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes. Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes offer a high intrinsic gain as well as an excellent timing accuracy. In addition, they can be compatible with standard CMOS technologies. However, they suffer from a high intrinsic noise, which induces false counts indistinguishable from real events and represents an increase of the readout electronics area to store the false counts. We have developed new front-end electronic circuitry for Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes in a conventional 0.35 µm HV-CMOS technology based on a gated mode of operation that allows low noise operation. The performance of the pixel detector is triggered and synchronized with the particle beam thanks to the gated acquisition. The circuits allow low reverse bias overvoltage operation which also improves the noise figures. Experimental characterization of the fabricated front-end circuit is presented in this work

A Review of the Pinned Photodiode for CCD and CMOS Image Sensors

The pinned photodiode is the primary photodetector structure used in most CCD and CMOS image sensors. This paper reviews the development, physics, and technology of the pinned photodiode

Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiodes in Standard CMOS Technologies

Photodiodes are the simplest but most versatile semiconductor optoelectronic devices. They can be used for direct detection of light, of soft X and gamma rays, and of particles such as electrons or neutrons. For many years, the sensors of choice for most research and industrial applications needing photon counting or timing have been vacuum-based devices such as Photo-Multiplier Tubes, PMT, and Micro-Channel Plates, MCP (Renker, 2004). Although these photodetectors provide good sensitivity, noise and timing characteristics, they still suffer from limitations owing to their large power consumption, high operation voltages and sensitivity to magnetic fields, as well as they are still bulky, fragile and expensive. New approaches to high-sensitivity imagers tend to use CCD cameras coupled with either MCP Image Intensifiers, I-CCDs, or Electron Multipliers, EM-CCDs (Dussault & Hoess, 2004), but they still have limited performances in extreme time-resolved measurements. A fully solid-state solution can improve design flexibility, cost, miniaturization, integration density, reliability and signal processing capabilities in photodetectors. In particular, Single- Photon Avalanche Diodes, SPADs, fabricated by conventional planar technology on silicon can be used as particle (Stapels et al., 2007) and photon (Ghioni et al., 2007) detectors with high intrinsic gain and speed. These SPAD are silicon Avalanche PhotoDiodes biased above breakdown. This operation regime, known as Geiger mode, gives excellent single-photon sensitivity thanks to the avalanche caused by impact ionization of the photogenerated carriers (Cova et al., 1996). The number of carriers generated as a result of the absorption of a single photon determines the optical gain of the device, which in the case of SPADs may be virtually infinite. The basic concepts concerning the behaviour of G-APDs and the physical processes taking place during their operation will be reviewed next, as well as the main performance parameters and noise sources

Single Photon Counting Detectors for Low Light Level Imaging Applications

This dissertation presents the current state-of-the-art of semiconductor-based photon counting detector technologies. HgCdTe linear-mode avalanche photodiodes (LM-APDs), silicon Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GM-APDs), and electron-multiplying CCDs (EMCCDs) are compared via their present and future performance in various astronomy applications. LM-APDs are studied in theory, based on work done at the University of Hawaii. EMCCDs are studied in theory and experimentally, with a device at NASA\u27s Jet Propulsion Lab. The emphasis of the research is on GM-APD imaging arrays, developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and tested at the RIT Center for Detectors. The GM-APD research includes a theoretical analysis of SNR and various performance metrics, including dark count rate, afterpulsing, photon detection efficiency, and intrapixel sensitivity. The effects of radiation damage on the GM-APD were also characterized by introducing a cumulative dose of 50 krad(Si) via 60 MeV protons. Extensive development of Monte Carlo simulations and practical observation simulations was completed, including simulated astronomical imaging and adaptive optics wavefront sensing. Based on theoretical models and experimental testing, both the current state-of-the-art performance and projected future performance of each detector are compared for various applications. LM-APD performance is currently not competitive with other photon counting technologies, and are left out of the application-based comparisons. In the current state-of-the-art, EMCCDs in photon counting mode out-perform GM-APDs for long exposure scenarios, though GM-APDs are better for short exposure scenarios (fast readout) due to clock-induced-charge (CIC) in EMCCDs. In the long term, small improvements in GM-APD dark current will make them superior in both long and short exposure scenarios for extremely low flux. The efficiency of GM-APDs will likely always be less than EMCCDs, however, which is particularly disadvantageous for moderate to high flux rates where dark noise and CIC are insignificant noise sources. Research into decreasing the dark count rate of GM-APDs will lead to development of imaging arrays that are competitive for low light level imaging and spectroscopy applications in the near future

Recent X-ray hybrid CMOS detector developments and measurements

The Penn State X-ray detector lab, in collaboration with Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS), have progressed their efforts to improve soft X-ray Hybrid CMOS detector (HCD) technology on multiple fronts. Having newly acquired a Teledyne cryogenic SIDECAR ASIC for use with HxRG devices, measurements were performed with an H2RG HCD and the cooled SIDECAR. We report new energy resolution and read noise measurements, which show a significant improvement over room temperature SIDECAR operation. Further, in order to meet the demands of future high-throughput and high spatial resolution X-ray observatories, detectors with fast readout and small pixel sizes are being developed. We report on characteristics of new X-ray HCDs with 12.5 micron pitch that include in-pixel CDS circuitry and crosstalk-eliminating CTIA amplifiers. In addition, PSU and TIS are developing a new large-scale array Speedster-EXD device. The original 64 x 64 pixel Speedster-EXD prototype used comparators in each pixel to enable event driven readout with order of magnitude higher effective readout rates, which will now be implemented in a 550 x 550 pixel device. Finally, the detector lab is involved in a sounding rocket mission that is slated to fly in 2018 with an off-plane reflection grating array and an H2RG X-ray HCD. We report on the planned detector configuration for this mission, which will increase the NASA technology readiness level of X-ray HCDs to TRL 9.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, appears in Proc. SPIE 2017. error in reported detector thickness, changed from 200 microns to 100 micron