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Related Concept Videos

P-N junction01:11

P-N junction

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A p-n junction is formed when p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are joined together. At the interface of the p-n junction, holes from the p-side and electrons from the n-side begin to diffuse into the opposite sides due to the concentration gradient. This diffusion of carriers leads to a region around the junction where there are no free charge carriers, known as the depletion region. The charge density within the depletion region for the n-side and p-side can be described by the...
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Biasing of P-N Junction01:16

Biasing of P-N Junction

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The operation of a p-n junction diode involves various biasing conditions, including forward bias, reverse bias, and equilibrium.
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
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Working Principle of BJT01:15

Working Principle of BJT

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A Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), specifically a PNP transistor in a common-base configuration, effectively amplifies or switches electronic signals by controlling the flow of charge carriers. This discussion focuses on its operation in the active mode.
In the PNP configuration, the emitter is heavily doped with positive charge carriers (holes), while the base is lightly doped with negative carriers (electrons). This setup allows for a forward bias across the emitter-base junction,...
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MOSFET: Enhancement Mode01:22

MOSFET: Enhancement Mode

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Enhancement-mode MOSFETs are pivotal components in electronics, distinguished by their capacity to act as highly efficient switches. They are part of the larger family of metal-oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). They are available in two types: p-channel and n-channel, each tailored to specific polarity operations.
In their basic form, enhancement-mode MOSFETs are typically non-conductive when the gate-source voltage (Vgs) is zero. This default 'off' state means no...
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Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:27

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

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Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
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Schottky Barrier Diode01:27

Schottky Barrier Diode

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Schottky barrier diodes are specialized semiconductor devices characterized by their unique construction. This construction involves combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor material. This combination leads to the formation of a Schottky barrier, a pivotal element that defines the diode's operational characteristics. The core functionality of Schottky barrier diodes is their capacity to allow current to flow in only one direction due to their distinctive...
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Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy of N-polar InAlN-barrier High-electron-mobility Transistors
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Current-Assisted SPAD with Improved p-n Junction and Enhanced NIR Performance.

Gobinath Jegannathan1, Thomas Van den Dries1, Maarten Kuijk1

  • 1Department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 16, 2020
PubMed
Summary

This study presents an improved current-assisted single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) with enhanced near-infrared sensitivity. The novel design achieves higher photon detection probability, making it suitable for advanced optical sensing applications.

Keywords:
CMOSGeiger modeSPADavalanche breakdowncurrent-assistancesingle photon detector

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Area of Science:

  • Photonics and Semiconductor Devices
  • Integrated Circuit Design
  • Quantum Sensing

Background:

  • Conventional CMOS-based single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) exhibit limited sensitivity in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum due to their fabrication in lowly-doped N-type wells.
  • This limitation hinders their application in various optical sensing technologies requiring NIR detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present an improved second-generation "current-assisted" single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) with enhanced NIR sensitivity.
  • To demonstrate superior performance compared to previous iterations, particularly in photon detection probability.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of the improved SPAD in a standard 350 nm CMOS process, featuring a 14 μm thick epilayer for enhanced photon absorption.
  • Utilizing a "current-assistance" principle to create a drift field, guiding photo-electrons from a large absorption area to a smaller central active avalanche area.
  • Employing a cylindrical p-n junction in the active area and on-chip passive quenching with source followers.

Main Results:

  • The improved SPAD demonstrates significantly enhanced NIR sensitivity.
  • Achieved a peak photon detection probability (PDP) of 22.2% at 600 nm and a timing jitter of 220 ps at 750 nm.
  • Measured performance metrics include dark count rate (DCR) and after-pulsing probability (APP), alongside device physics simulations.

Conclusions:

  • The developed "current-assisted" SPAD offers a promising solution for high-performance optical sensing, especially in the NIR range.
  • The design improvements lead to better photon detection probability and timing jitter.
  • The integration of on-chip passive quenching conserves capacitance for efficient signal monitoring.