Back-Side Readout Silicon Photomultiplier.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Semiconductor Devices
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Current front-illuminated silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) suffer from limited geometric fill factors, reducing photon detection efficiency (PDE).
• Front-side readout architectures in SiPMs pose inherent limitations to achieving optimal PDE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel back-side readout SiPM structure designed to overcome the limitations of current front-side readout devices.
• To investigate a new SiPM design that enhances photon detection efficiency (PDE) through improved fill factor and electric field management.
• To enable direct coupling of SiPM micro-cells to integrated circuits.

Main Methods:

• Device simulation was employed to analyze the performance characteristics of the proposed back-side readout SiPM structure.
• Process simulation was utilized to define and evaluate a viable fabrication flow for the novel SiPM design.
• The structure was engineered to create a region of high electric field optimized for avalanche breakdown.

Main Results:

• The novel back-side readout structure demonstrates potential for significantly higher photon detection efficiency (PDE) compared to conventional SiPMs.
• The proposed design achieves a relatively high geometric fill factor, crucial for maximizing PDE.
• The structure facilitates direct integration of individual SiPM micro-cells with application-specific integrated circuits.

Conclusions:

• The developed back-side readout SiPM structure offers a promising advancement for high-PDE photodetector applications.
• This novel design addresses key limitations in current SiPM technology, paving the way for improved performance.
• The proposed structure is suitable for direct integration with integrated circuits, enabling versatile applications.