110 results about "Avalanche diode" patented technology

The invention relates to an Imaging sensor device in a stacked arrangement comprising:a pixel array tier comprising a plurality of pixel segments each having a plurality of pixels for photon detection each providing a digital pixel output;a processing tier comprising a number of processing cores each associated with one of the plurality of pixel segments to receive the pixel outputs of the pixels of the respective pixel segment, wherein the processing cores are each in bidirectional communication with one or more neighboring processing cores,wherein the processing cores are each configured to receive pixel outputs of the pixels of the associated pixel segments and to distribute processing of pixel outputs between the processing core and the at least one of the neighboring processing cores as neighboring processing cores.

Disclosed are systems and methods that employ elastic fiber optic, time-of-flight sensors for long distance landslide monitoring with sub-mm precision. The time-of-flight (ToF) sensor is integrated in conjunction with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). By coupling both the emission source and the detector with a stretchable optical fiber, our inventive systems and methods continuously monitor the length of the stretchable optical fiber by measuring a traveling time of an optical pulse traversing the stretchable optical fiber. A significant, detectable change in the length of the stretchable optical fiber – indicative of ground movement or deformation, triggers an alarm, providing an early warning for potential landslides. As such, systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure provide a reliable, sensitive, precise, cost-effective, real-time solution for landslide detection and monitoring – a problem that has plagued the art.

An SPAD with a mesa structure has an etch stop layer that allows a first high-precision etch process that forms substrate contact plugs around the mesa to be combined with a second high-precision etch process that forms a metal grid. The etch stop layer is provided with a first elevation adjacent the substrate contact plugs and a second elevation adjacent the metal grid. The second elevation is greater than the first elevation. In a process, holes for the substrate contact plugs and trenches for the metal grid are etched down to the etch stop layer. After a break-through etch, a third etch process deepens the holes and the trenches to their final depths. The metal grid may land on a second etch stop layer that is absent from an area around the substrate contact plugs. This structure and process provide lower cost SPADs with mesa structures.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes an avalanche diode disposed in a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The avalanche diode includes a first semiconductor region of first conductivity type disposed at a first depth and a second semiconductor region of second conductivity type disposed at a second depth deeper than the first depth with respect to the second surface. The photoelectric conversion apparatus further includes a first wiring portion electrically connected to the first semiconductor region; and a second wiring portion electrically connected to the second semiconductor region, An oxide film and a protective film stacked on the oxide film are disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor layer. There is a point at which dsio>(εsio / εprot)×dprot / 2 is satisfied, where dsio is a thickness of the oxide film, dprot is a thickness of the protective film, εsio is a relative permittivity of the oxide film, and εprot is a relative permittivity of the protective film. In a plan view from the second surface, the second wiring portion overlaps with at least a part of the second semiconductor region and does not overlap with the first semiconductor region.

This invention discloses a superlattice multiplication layer avalanche diode and its fabrication method. The single-photon avalanche diode includes a graphene transparent electrode and, from bottom to top, an InP substrate, an n-type buffer layer, a superlattice absorption region, a p-type charge layer, a superlattice gradient region, a superlattice multiplication region, a p-type contact layer with a p-type contact window, and a passivation layer. The graphene transparent electrode is grown on the passivation layer and the p-type contact window, forming an ohmic contact with the p-type contact region. Magnetic metal nanoparticles that generate a local magnetic field are embedded in the superlattice multiplication region. The magnetic metal nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in-plane within a depth range of 5-400 nm from the interface in the light-gathering direction of the superlattice multiplication region. This invention combines the internal bandgap optimization of the superlattice with the external limiting pump capability of graphene to produce a synergistic effect, providing a single-photon avalanche diode with low dark count rate, weak afterpulse effect, high detection efficiency, and the ability to operate at relatively high temperatures.

The present application relates to the field of quantum computing, in particular to a kind of quantum bit computer, including visible light signal generator, visible light detector, quantum processor, signal receiver and signal processing end;The visible light signal generator is used to generate corresponding visible light signal according to control instruction, and the visible light signal is sent to the visible light detector;The visible light detector is used to generate corresponding processor control microwave signal according to the visible light signal received;The signal receiver is used to receive the calculation feedback microwave signal of the quantum processor, and the calculation feedback microwave signal is sent to signal processing end.The present application reduces the heat conduction from room temperature zone to low temperature zone, increases the available power redundancy of low temperature zone device, while the frequency of visible light is higher, and the modulation capacity is stronger, cooperate with only visible light sensitive silicon-based photo avalanche diode, can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of information transmitted to the quantum processor.

This invention discloses a single-photon avalanche diode and a photodetector. The single-photon avalanche diode includes a substrate, a first p-type epitaxial layer, an n-type buried layer, a p-type buried layer, a second p-type epitaxial layer, an anode contact region, and a cathode contact region. The first p-type epitaxial layer is located on one side of the substrate; the n-type buried layer and the p-type buried layer are located on the side of the first p-type epitaxial layer away from the substrate, and the n-type buried layer and the p-type buried layer form an abrupt junction; the second p-type epitaxial layer is located on the side of the p-type buried layer away from the n-type buried layer; the anode contact region is located on the side of the second p-type epitaxial layer away from the p-type buried layer and is coupled to the p-type buried layer; the cathode contact region is located on the side of the n-type buried layer away from the substrate and is coupled to the n-type buried layer. The technical solution of this invention can improve the photodetector capability of the device.

The invention discloses an insulation defect detection method based on a quantum color center technology, and belongs to the field of state monitoring. Comprising the steps that a quantum sensing module and an excitation and signal acquisition module are adopted to detect the insulation defect of the electrical equipment, the quantum sensing module adopts a silicon carbide color center chip, a double-vacancy defect is prepared through an ion implantation and annealing process, a substrate material adopts AlN ceramic, and a protective layer adopts an aerogel composite structure; a DPSS laser is adopted as a light source of a laser excitation chain of an excitation and signal acquisition module, and a single-photon avalanche diode array is adopted as a detector of a fluorescence acquisition chain; a signal processing flow is based on silicon carbide double-vacancy color center fluorescence lifetime attenuation characteristics, partial discharge detection is carried out, dynamic change and frequency spectrum characteristics of a color center fluorescence lifetime tau value are analyzed, a multi-physics field decoupling algorithm combining time domain fluorescence lifetime analysis, frequency domain vibration spectrum extraction and a machine learning classification model is adopted, and a silicon carbide double-vacancy color center fluorescence lifetime tau value is analyzed. And high-precision identification and positioning of discharge types such as corona discharge and creeping discharge are realized.

The application discloses a kind of single-photon TOF image sensors for laser radar, including reconfigurable pixel array, dynamic reconfigurable circuit, real-time feedback control system;Reconfigurable pixel array is constructed based on field programmable array FPGA technology, each pixel unit is integrated with configurable single-photon avalanche diode SPAD, amplifier, integrator and control logic circuit, by programming to the internal logic of FPGA, change pixel operating mode and parameter, and pixel unit can be configured as unit with specific function, pixel for edge detection and motion detection, in the application, flexible reconfigurable pixel configuration: with field programmable array FPGA technology, the photosensitive area of pixel unit, integration time and gain and other key parameters can be flexibly adjusted according to actual demand, pixel unit can also be configured as unit with specific function such as edge detection, motion detection.

A semiconductor structure includes a first well in a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of fin-like doped regions over and coupled to the first well in the semiconductor substrate, and a second well over the first well and the plurality of fin-like doped regions in the semiconductor substrate. The first well and the plurality of fin-like doped regions comprise a first conductivity type, and the second well comprises a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type. A first interface is formed between the second well and the first well, a second interface is formed between the second well and the plurality of fin-like doped regions, and each of the first interface and the second interface has a non-planar configuration.

This application provides a key parameter testing system and method for fiber-optic single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The system uses a testing module to drive multiple SPADs under test, generates laser trigger signals based on parameter testing requests, and acquires pulse parameters for each SPAD under test under different testing modes with and without light source illumination. A laser generation module generates an initial pulse signal based on the laser trigger signal; a laser adjustment and transmission module adjusts the light attenuation value of the initial pulse laser and separates it into multiple test light sources with equal laser power; a control module monitors the laser power of the laser generation module and configures the laser adjustment parameters of the laser adjustment and transmission module; and the system determines the key parameters of each SPAD under test based on the pulse parameters. The system provided in this application can quickly detect the key parameters of multiple SPADs while ensuring detection accuracy, and the parameter testing process is simple and intuitive.

The application belongs to the technical field of optical devices, and provides a single-photon avalanche diode array, a receiving sensor and a laser radar. At least two SPAD units are arranged in an array. A microlens converges incident light onto a corresponding SPAD unit. A back metal grid connects the SPAD unit and a corresponding external electrode. A first dielectric layer is arranged between the microlens and the SPAD unit. A second dielectric layer is arranged between the SPAD unit and a front metal trace layer. The front metal trace layer is electrically connected to the corresponding SPAD unit through a contact metal wire. By arranging a deep groove isolation column between adjacent SPAD units and arranging a metal filling structure between the deep groove isolation column and the back metal grid, self-excited photons generated by the SPAD unit excited by incident light can be isolated, the self-excited photons can be prevented from entering adjacent SPAD units through the grid gap, the probability of photon crosstalk can be reduced, and the optical crosstalk of the device can be reduced.

The present application relates to a time-resolved spectrum measurement method and apparatus based on a multi-event time-to-digital converter, a device, and a medium. The method comprises: a multi-event time-to-digital converter performs histogram statistics on photon signals, which are responded at different times and correspond to each column of single-photon avalanche diodes, in different laser pulse periods, so as to determine photon signal distributions of a photon signal of a specific wavelength corresponding to each column of single-photon avalanche diodes in the different laser pulse periods; and the multi-event time-to-digital converter performs delayed merging on the photon signal distributions in the different laser pulse periods to determine a photon lifetime curve corresponding to the photon signal of a specific wavelength corresponding to each column of single-photon avalanche diodes, and integrates the photon lifetime curve corresponding to the photon signal of a specific wavelength corresponding to each column of single-photon avalanche diodes to construct a time-resolved spectrum of a sample to be measured. The present application can reduce the count loss or time error caused by dead time.

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of image pixels. Each image pixel includes a semiconductor region and a single-photon avalanche diode formed within the semiconductor region. Each image pixel also includes an optical structure arranged within the semiconductor region and extending from a top surface of the semiconductor region into its interior. Each image pixel further includes a microlens configured to focus light received by the image pixel into the optical structure.

The present invention relates to a P-doped region and a 1-side spot ohmic metal contact structure which are applicable to a single-photon avalanche diode sensor. It is possible to enhance photon absorption efficiency while minimizing the size of a single-photon avalanche diode, by forming a P-doped region and placing an ohmic metal contact in a spot form on an edge of the P-doped region.

Systems, devices, and methods for locating a contact for a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) in an isolation trench structure of a SPAD-based imager are described. These systems, devices, and methods can include a front-side isolation trench structure positioned between adjacent SPAD pixels. The trench is lined with a continuous passivation layer that has an opening allowing a conductive material filling the trench to contact the substrate and form a buried contact for one or more adjacent SPADs. The trench can include a stepped trench with the opening in the passivation layer located near the stepped area. Alternatively, the trench can include an opening in the passivation layer facing the bottom of the front-side trench. Finally, the trench can include a back-side trench lined with a high-κ dielectric.The back trench can be continuous or segmented and / or overlapping. Buried SPAD contacts, as described here, can enable a reduction in pixel size.

The invention belongs to the technical field of optical devices, and provides a single photon avalanche diode array, a receiving sensor and a laser radar, at least two SPAD units are arranged in an array, a microlens converges incident light to the corresponding SPAD unit, a back metal grid connects the SPAD unit and a corresponding external electrode, a first dielectric layer is arranged between the microlens and the SPAD unit, and a second dielectric layer is arranged between the microlens and the SPAD unit. The second dielectric layer is arranged between the SPAD units and the front metal wiring layer, and the front metal wiring layer is electrically connected with the corresponding SPAD units through contact metal wires. The deep groove isolation columns are arranged between the adjacent SPAD units, and the metal filling structures are arranged between the deep groove isolation columns and the back metal grids, so that self-excitation photons generated when the SPAD units are excited by incident light can be isolated, the self-excitation photons are prevented from entering the adjacent SPAD units through grid gaps, the probability of photon crosstalk is reduced, and the optical crosstalk of the device is reduced.

A photoelectric conversion device, a fabrication method, and an image sensor are disclosed. The device includes a substrate with at least two avalanche diode units. Each unit has a device region surrounded by a back-side deep trench isolation structure. At least one front-side trench isolation structure is disposed between any two adjacent units. A doped region, formed by outward diffusion from the front-side trench isolation structure, has a gradually decreasing doping concentration gradient. At least a portion of the doped region extends beyond the back-side deep trench isolation structure to form a dark current suppression region within each adjacent avalanche diode unit.

A single-photon avalanche diode unit is provided, which includes at least one main junction and a barrier region. A size of the main junction is smaller than a preset size; a polarity of the barrier region is the same as that of a first well region, and the first well region is a well region of the main junction away from an electrode of the single-photon avalanche diode unit in a depth direction. The barrier region is in the same layer as the first well region in the depth direction and is arranged around the first well region; and the barrier region extends outward to a hole conductive region of the single-photon avalanche diode unit, and a polarity of the hole conductive region is the same as that of the first well region.

A single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) device includes a first deep trench isolation (DTI) structure on a first side of the SPAD device, a first vertical doped region over a side of the first DTI structure, a second DTI structure on a second side of the SPAD device, a second vertical doped region over a side of the second DTI structure, a deep well coupled between the first vertical doped region and the second vertical doped region, and a shallow trench structure over the second DTI structure, the shallow trench structure comprising insulating sidewalls and a first conductive line between the insulating sidewalls, wherein the first conductive line is coupled to the second vertical doped region.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising an avalanche diode disposed in a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The avalanche diode includes a first semiconductor region of first conductivity type disposed at a first depth and a second semiconductor region of second conductivity type disposed at a second depth deeper than the first depth with respect to the second surface. An oxide film and a protective film stacked on the oxide film are disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor layer. There is a point at which dsio>(εsio / εprot)×dprot / 2 is satisfied, where dsio is a thickness of the oxide film, dprot is a thickness of the protective film, εsio is a relative permittivity of the oxide film, and εprot is a relative permittivity of the protective film.

An optical detection apparatus includes a trench isolation portion provided in a substrate and disposed between a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. Each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements includes an avalanche diode. The avalanche diode includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region having an impurity concentration lower than impurity concentrations of the first and second semiconductor regions. The trench isolation portion includes a conductor and an insulator disposed between the conductor and the avalanche diode, and on a sidewall of the trench isolation portion, a second conductivity type layer is formed in which charges of the second conductivity type are accumulated, and the second conductivity type layer and the second semiconductor region are in contact with each other.

The application discloses a camera design optimization method based on single-photon density imaging, which relies on a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) device to capture incident photon information, and then constructs a photon cube for representing the light detection condition at each pixel point and the characteristic information of the photons. The arrival of the photons can be modeled as a Poisson process, the time contrast projection technology is adopted to generate photon events, and the exponential response curve is used to avoid underflow, the sensitivity under low light conditions is improved by optimizing the event triggering mechanism, and the imaging performance is optimized. The application achieves the imaging effect through the photon cube information collected by the SPAD and the corresponding algorithm. And through the optimization of the algorithm, higher video reconstruction quality and lower bandwidth cost are realized, and the application has good practical value.

The invention discloses a range hood control method and device based on gesture recognition, a range hood and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of kitchen appliances. The method comprises the following steps: controlling a laser transmitter to transmit a laser signal to a target direction of the range hood, and receiving a reflected light signal formed by reflecting the laser signal through a hand of a user through a single-photon avalanche diode; generating a depth map including the hand of the user according to the time difference between the laser signal and the reflected light signal; identifying a user gesture according to the depth map; and generating a control instruction corresponding to the user gesture to control the running state of the range hood. According to the embodiment of the invention, the single photon avalanche diode and the laser transmitter are arranged on the range hood, so that non-contact control of the range hood can be realized, the problem that oil stains on the hand of a user pollute components of the range hood in the cooking process is reduced, and the operation convenience of the range hood is improved.

A radiation-sensitive device (320) is disclosed. The device includes an array of single-photon avalanche diodes (105) and a circuit (115) configured to measure the intensity of incident radiation from the array of SPADs using multiple different measurement windows to provide multiple associated results. The circuit is configured to determine the intensity of the incident radiation based on one of the multiple results, the selection of which is determined by whether the result exceeds a maximum count, which is at least partially limited by the duration of the measurement window associated with the result. An associated method for increasing the dynamic range of a radiation-sensitive device including an array of SPADs is also disclosed.

Proposed is an X-ray detector. The X-ray detector includes a pixel array panel including a plurality of pixels, a single-photon avalanche diode disposed within each pixel, a diode driving circuit disposed within each pixel and including a pulse generation circuit configured to convert an electrical signal output from an output terminal of the single-photon avalanche diode into an output signal in a form of a pulse, a pixel control circuit disposed within each pixel and including a first control circuit configured to output the output signal as a clock signal, and a counter circuit disposed within each pixel and including an n-bit counter configured to use the clock signal (where n is an integer equal to or larger than 2) to count events.

The invention relates to a single photon avalanche diode detector and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: after a deep groove between every two adjacent single-photon avalanche diode units of the single-photon avalanche diode unit array is etched, sequentially growing a first buffer layer, a hafnium oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, a tantalum oxide layer, a second buffer layer and an adhesion layer on the surface of the deep groove; and filling the deep trench with a metal layer for surface planarization to obtain the single-photon avalanche diode detector. According to the invention, the ion concentration of metal ions diffused to the working area of the device can be effectively reduced, the possibility of wrong time and distance information feedback of pixels caused by ion pollution is improved, and the imaging quality and the production and manufacturing yield are further effectively improved.

A sensor arrangement for high-resolution imaging using a common connection between a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and a time-to-digital converter (TDC), comprising: a) a two-dimensional array of SPADs arranged in rows and columns, each SPAD being connected to a quench circuit (QU) that generates a digital pulse for each SPAD event; b) a row connection and a column connection, each QU of the SPAD array being connected to the row and column connections; c) a plurality of TDC channels, each assigned to either a specific row or a specific column of the SPAD array, the TDC channels being driven by a common clock generator and having N stages, and the TDC channels being configured to measure the time interval between the occurrence of a SPAD event and the clock signal;d) Synchronization means to ensure synchronous operation of the TDC channels assigned to the rows and columns of the SPAD array; e) A measuring device for acquiring the measurement results from the TDC channels assigned to the rows and columns of the SPAD array; f) Comparison means for comparing the measurement results from the row and column TDC channels to identify the SPAD source associated with a particular SPAD event; and g) Sorting means for matching the identified SPAD event to the corresponding histogram of the source SPAD.

The present application relates to a photoelectric conversion device, a photoelectric conversion system, and a movable object. The photoelectric conversion device includes a first avalanche diode including a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type in which a majority carrier is a charge carrier of the same conductivity type as a signal charge; a second avalanche diode including a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and arranged adjacent to the first avalanche diode; and a third avalanche diode including an eighth semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and arranged adjacent to the second avalanche diode.

The system discloses a pixel including a memory and a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The pixel is operable in a first mode and a second mode. The system further includes using high density static random-access memory (SRAM) based pixels for multi-bin histogramming for time-of-flight measurements and multi-frame storage intensity imaging.