skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A discrete model of the development and relaxation of a local microbreakdown in silicon avalanche photodiodes operating in the Geiger mode

Journal Article · · Semiconductors
 [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics (Russian Federation)
  2. OOO Unique ICs (Russian Federation)

A new discrete theoretical model of the development and relaxation of a local microbreakdown in silicon avalanche photodiodes operating in the Geiger mode is developed. It is shown that the spreading resistance in the substrate profoundly affects both the amplitude of a single-photon electrical pulse and the possibility of attaining the steady-state form of the avalanche breakdown excluding the Geiger mode of the photodiode's operation. The model is employed to interpret the experimental data obtained using test single-photon cells of avalanche photodiodes fabricated on the basis of the 0.25-{mu}m silicon technology with the use of deep implantation to form the region of avalanche multiplication for the charge carriers. Excellent functional properties of the studied type of the single-photon (Geiger) cell are noted. A typical amplitude characteristic of the cell for optical radiation with the wavelength {lambda} = 0.56 {mu}m in the irradiance range of 10{sup -3}-10{sup 2} lx is presented; this characteristic indicates that the quantum efficiency of photoconversion is extremely high.

OSTI ID:
21088042
Journal Information:
Semiconductors, Vol. 41, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1134/S1063782607060206; Copyright (c) 2007 Nauka/Interperiodica; Article Copyright (c) 2007 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Generation efficiency of single-photon current pulses in the Geiger mode of silicon avalanche photodiodes
Journal Article · Tue Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Semiconductors · OSTI ID:21088042

Compact active quenching circuit for fast photon counting with avalanche photodiodes
Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Review of Scientific Instruments · OSTI ID:21088042

Dynamics of local micro-breakdown in the Geiger mode of avalanche photodiodes
Journal Article · Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Semiconductors · OSTI ID:21088042