Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor
We present an analysis of carrier dynamics of the single-photon detection process, i.e., from Geiger mode pulse generation to its quenching, in a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The device is modeled by a parallel circuit of a SPAD and a capacitance representing both space charge accumulation...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/3007 |
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| author | Akito Inoue Toru Okino Shinzo Koyama Yutaka Hirose |
| author_facet | Akito Inoue Toru Okino Shinzo Koyama Yutaka Hirose |
| author_sort | Akito Inoue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present an analysis of carrier dynamics of the single-photon detection process, i.e., from Geiger mode pulse generation to its quenching, in a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The device is modeled by a parallel circuit of a SPAD and a capacitance representing both space charge accumulation inside the SPAD and parasitic components. The carrier dynamics inside the SPAD is described by time-dependent bipolar-coupled continuity equations (BCE). Numerical solutions of BCE show that the entire process completes within a few hundreds of picoseconds. More importantly, we find that the total amount of charges stored on the series capacitance gives rise to a voltage swing of the internal bias of SPAD twice of the excess bias voltage with respect to the breakdown voltage. This, in turn, gives a design methodology to control precisely generated charges and enables one to use SPADs as conventional photodiodes (PDs) in a four transistor pixel of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with short exposure time and without carrier overflow. Such operation is demonstrated by experiments with a 6 µm size 400 × 400 pixels SPAD-based CIS designed with this methodology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:36:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e7748f32a72444fc997fc959c50a4725 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:36:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-e7748f32a72444fc997fc959c50a47252023-11-20T01:43:18ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-05-012010300710.3390/s20103007Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image SensorAkito Inoue0Toru Okino1Shinzo Koyama2Yutaka Hirose3Panasonic Corporation, 1 Kotari-yakemachi, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto 617-8520, JapanPanasonic Corporation, 1 Kotari-yakemachi, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto 617-8520, JapanPanasonic Corporation, 1 Kotari-yakemachi, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto 617-8520, JapanPanasonic Corporation, 1 Kotari-yakemachi, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto 617-8520, JapanWe present an analysis of carrier dynamics of the single-photon detection process, i.e., from Geiger mode pulse generation to its quenching, in a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The device is modeled by a parallel circuit of a SPAD and a capacitance representing both space charge accumulation inside the SPAD and parasitic components. The carrier dynamics inside the SPAD is described by time-dependent bipolar-coupled continuity equations (BCE). Numerical solutions of BCE show that the entire process completes within a few hundreds of picoseconds. More importantly, we find that the total amount of charges stored on the series capacitance gives rise to a voltage swing of the internal bias of SPAD twice of the excess bias voltage with respect to the breakdown voltage. This, in turn, gives a design methodology to control precisely generated charges and enables one to use SPADs as conventional photodiodes (PDs) in a four transistor pixel of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with short exposure time and without carrier overflow. Such operation is demonstrated by experiments with a 6 µm size 400 × 400 pixels SPAD-based CIS designed with this methodology.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/3007avalanche breakdownavalanche photodiodesCMOS image sensor (CIS)quenchingsingle photon avalanche diode (SPAD) |
| spellingShingle | Akito Inoue Toru Okino Shinzo Koyama Yutaka Hirose Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor Sensors avalanche breakdown avalanche photodiodes CMOS image sensor (CIS) quenching single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) |
| title | Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor |
| title_full | Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor |
| title_fullStr | Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor |
| title_short | Modeling and Analysis of Capacitive Relaxation Quenching in a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Applied to a CMOS Image Sensor |
| title_sort | modeling and analysis of capacitive relaxation quenching in a single photon avalanche diode spad applied to a cmos image sensor |
| topic | avalanche breakdown avalanche photodiodes CMOS image sensor (CIS) quenching single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/3007 |
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