Note: Fully integrated active quenching circuit achieving 100 MHz count rate with custom technology single photon...

Area of Science:

• Photon detection and timing
• Integrated circuit design
• Semiconductor device physics

Background:

• Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) are essential for precise photon detection.
• Minimizing the dead time of SPADs is critical for improving measurement speed and accuracy.
• Existing quenching circuits can limit the maximum count rate and timing resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a fully integrated Active Quenching Circuit (AQC) for SPAD detectors.
• To achieve high count rates and precise timing information simultaneously.
• To enable operation with advanced SPAD designs, including red-enhanced detectors.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a fully integrated Active Quenching Circuit (AQC).
• Integration of the AQC with custom-technology SPAD detectors.
• Characterization of the AQC-SPAD system for count rate and timing jitter performance.

Main Results:

• The integrated AQC achieves a maximum count rate of 100 MHz.
• The system demonstrates a timing jitter (Full Width at Half Maximum) as low as 160 ps.
• The AQC is compatible with new red-enhanced SPAD detectors.

Conclusions:

• The developed integrated AQC significantly enhances SPAD performance.
• The circuit enables high-speed photon counting and precise timing measurements.
• This advancement supports the development of next-generation photon detection systems.