SPAD array detectors for parallel photon timing applications

Over the past few years there has been a growing interest in monolithic arrays of single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) for spatially resolved detection of faint ultrafast optical signals. SPADs implemented in CMOS-compatible planar technologies offer the typical advantages of microelectronic devices (small size, ruggedness, low voltage, low power, etc.). Furthermore, they have inherently higher photon detection efficiency than PMTs and are able to provide, beside sensitivities down to single-photons, very high acquisition speeds. In order to make SPAD array more and more competitive in time-resolved application it is necessary to face problems like electrical crosstalk between adjacent pixels

Monolithic front-end system for photon timing applications

Over the past few years there has been a growing interest in monolithic arrays of single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) for spatially resolved detection of faint ultrafast optical signals. SPADs implemented in CMOS-compatible planar technologies offer the typical advantages of microelectronic devices (small size, ruggedness, low voltage, low power, etc.). Furthermore, they have inherently higher photon detection efficiency than PMTs and are able to provide, beside sensitivities down to single-photons, very high acquisition speeds (i.e. either high frame-rates or very short integration time-slots). In order to make SPAD array more and more competitive in time-resolved application it is necessary to face problems like electrical crosstalk between adjacent pixels

High-performance SPAD array detectors for parallel photon timing applications

Over the past few years there has been a growing interest in monolithic arrays of single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) for spatially resolved detection of faint ultrafast optical signals. SPADs implemented in planar technologies offer the typical advantages of microelectronic devices (small size, ruggedness, low voltage, low power, etc.). Furthermore, they have inherently higher photon detection efficiency than PMTs and are able to provide, beside sensitivities down to single-photons, very high acquisition speeds. In order to make SPAD array more and more competitive in time-resolved application it is necessary to face problems like electrical crosstalk between adjacent pixel, moreover all the singlephoton timing electronics with picosecond resolution has to be developed. In this paper we present a new instrument suitable for single-photon imaging applications and made up of 32 timeresolved parallel channels. The 32x1 pixel array that includes SPAD detectors represents the system core, and an embedded data elaboration unit performs on-board data processing for single-photon counting applications. Photontiming information is exported through a custom parallel cable that can be connected to an external multichannel TCSPC system

New silicon SPAD technology for enhanced red-sensitivity, high-resolution timing and system integration

In this paper we present a new technology for the fabrication of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) aimed at combining the advantages of thin and thick SPADs. The new detector is manufactured in a thick epitaxial layer designed to improve the Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) in the red and near-infrared range while maintaining a good timing resolution. Experimental characterization of the new red-enhanced SPAD (RE-SPAD) confirmed a significant improvement of the PDE compared with thin SPADs; for example the PDE at a wavelength of 800 nm has increased from 15% to about 40%. Nevertheless the temporal resolution is still good, with a timing jitter of about 90 ps FWHM. In the same operating conditions the dark count rate is comparable with the one attainable with a thin SPAD (e.g. less than 25 cps for a 50 µm diameter device cooled down to −5°C). Moreover, being planar, the new technology is compatible with the fabrication of arrays of detectors