202 results about "Avalanche diode" patented technology

The invention provides a single-photon avalanche diode and a single-photon detector, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor photoelectric detection, and the single-photon avalanche diode comprises a plurality of avalanche diode units. The avalanche diode units are sequentially stacked in the propagation direction of incident light to be detected. Each avalanche diode unit is provided with an electric field control module which is used for independently adjusting the bias electric field of each avalanche diode unit. In the propagation direction of the incident light, the avalanche diode unit of the next stage is used for absorbing the remaining photons which are not absorbed by the avalanche diode unit of the previous stage and generating carriers, so that avalanche current is formed. The light absorption wavelength ranges of adjacent avalanche diode units are at least partially overlapped. The single-photon avalanche diode solves the problem that the existing single-photon avalanche diode cannot balance high detection efficiency and low dark current, and achieves the purpose of improving the detection efficiency of a single-photon detector on the premise of not increasing the dark current.

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.

An avalanche diode arrangement includes a three-dimensional integrated circuit including a stack with at least a top-tier and a bottom-tier. The avalanche diode arrangement also includes a breakdown voltage monitor circuit. The top-tier includes an array of avalanche diodes. The bottom-tier includes an array of integrated light sources, located below the top-tier. In a calibration mode of operation, the light sources are operable to emit light towards the avalanche diodes. The breakdown voltage monitor circuit is operable to adjust bias voltages of the avalanche diodes depending on trigger events induced by light emitted by the light sources during the calibration mode of operation.

A semiconductor device may include a plurality of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pixels. The semiconductor device may be a backside device that includes a sensor wafer stacked with an integrated passive component (IPC) wafer. The sensor wafer may include the SPAD pixels in an array across the sensor wafer. The IPC wafer may include active microcells that include quench resistors and dummy microcells that omit or disconnect the quench resistors. The sensor wafer may be bonded to the IPC wafer through hybrid bonding. The regions with active microcells may form active areas of the semiconductor device, while the regions with dummy microcells may form inactive areas. In this way, the active areas and inactive areas of the semiconductor device may be configurable by adjusting the active and dummy microcells of the IPC wafer.

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.

The utility model provides a single-photon avalanche diode, a photoelectric detection device and electronic equipment. The single-photon avalanche diode comprises a substrate layer, a first doped region, a second doped region, an isolation region, a first electrode and a second electrode, the first doped region is located above the substrate layer, the second doped region is located above the first doped region, and the net doping type of the first doped region is opposite to that of the second doped region, so that a PN junction is formed between the first doped region and the second doped region, and depletion regions are formed on two sides of an interface of the PN junction; the isolation region is attached to the outer sides of the first doped region and the second doped region in the horizontal direction, and is constructed to at least cover the region between the upper interface of the second doped region and the lower interface of the first doped region in the height direction; the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to apply a reverse bias voltage to the PN junction to form an avalanche region in the depletion region. According to the single-photon avalanche diode, the size of a middle strong longitudinal electric field region cannot be affected when the overall size is reduced.

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.

The application relates to an avalanche diode single-photon detector and a preparation method thereof, in particular to a quantum dot-vertical linear avalanche diode single-photon detector and a preparation method thereof, and solves the problems of low detection efficiency of the existing single-photon detector and high preparation difficulty, high cost and limited effect of the existing method. + The detector comprises a detector N + substrate, a back electrode grown on the lower surface thereof, a plurality of quantum dot-vertical linear units arranged at intervals on the upper surface thereof, a passivation layer and a front electrode; the quantum dot-vertical linear unit comprises a semiconductor vertical linear structure, a porous nanomaterial layer and a quantum dot material layer; the semiconductor vertical linear structure is grown on the upper surface of the detector N + substrate; the porous nanomaterial layer covers the semiconductor vertical linear structure; the quantum dot material layer covers the porous nanomaterial layer; the passivation layer is filled between the quantum dot-vertical linear units; and the front electrode is grown on the part of the quantum dot-vertical linear unit extending out of the passivation layer.

The invention relates to a lighting circuit having a light sensor configured to measure a delay of reception of light that is being modulated based on a binary code after a reflection, said binary code being repeated for a predetermined time period T. The light sensor comprises: - a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) circuit (320) comprising a SPAD polarized by a voltage modulated by the code delayed of time k*ΔT, - an integrator (330) connected to the SPAD circuit (320) for providing an integration value of the conduction time of a SPAD (321) for each time the code is completely received.

To provide a technique of photon detection efficiency (PDE) modulation with multi-junction single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pixels.SOLUTION: A sensing device includes an array of sensing elements and a bias control circuit. Each sensing element of the array of sensing elements includes (i) a photosensitive material, which is configured to generate photoelectrons in response to incident optical radiation, and (ii) a plurality of avalanche diodes, which are disposed at different, respective locations within the sensing element in electrical communication with the photosensitive material and are configured, when reverse-biased, to generate electrical avalanches in response to the generated photoelectrons. The bias control circuit is configured to selectively set respective reverse-bias voltage levels of the avalanche diodes within each sensing element to different, respective values.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

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.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and an imaging element configured so as to be able to avoid further degradation in performance. The imaging element is provided with, for each of a plurality of pixels, a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) that generates avalanche multiplication as a result of the supply of a reverse bias voltage, the imaging element further comprising: a storage unit into which address information indicating an address of a defective pixel has been written; a digital processing circuit that outputs a pixel selection signal, for selecting the defective pixel, in accordance with the address information read from the storage unit; and a retention unit that is provided for each pixel and retains defect information indicating whether the pixel is a defective pixel. For each pixel, the retention unit provided in a pixel selected by the pixel selection signal output from the digital processing circuit retains defect information indicating that the pixel is defective, and outputs a control signal for blocking supply of the reverse bias voltage to the SPAD. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an imaging element in which a SPAD is used.

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.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a single-photon avalanche diode-based image sensor may comprise: a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) which generates a plurality of pulses corresponding to a plurality of photons, received during a predetermined exposure time, respectively; a front-end circuit which receives a set of pulses received during a partial time of the exposure time among the plurality of pulses; a counter which counts the number of pulses in the set of pulses; and a global clock which provides a plurality of clock pulses to the front-end circuit from after the partial time, wherein the quality of an image acquired using the SPAD is determined based on the timing of the global clock.

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 application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor process, and discloses an indium arsenide quantum dot single-photon avalanche diode and a manufacturing method thereof, which comprises a substrate layer, a buffer layer, an N-type indium phosphide doped layer, an intrinsic indium gallium arsenide absorption layer, an N-type indium gallium arsenide phosphorus light-doped gradient layer, an N-type indium phosphide light-doped charge layer, an intrinsic indium arsenide quantum dot avalanche layer and a P-type indium phosphide light-doped contact layer which are sequentially stacked; the quantum dot size of the intrinsic indium arsenide quantum dot avalanche layer ranges from 2 nm to 10 nm. The application can reduce excessive noise, improve the bandwidth of a device and improve the response speed of a diode.

An integrated circuit includes a shallow P-type well (SPW) below a surface of a semiconductor substrate and a shallow N-type well (SNW) below the surface. The SPW forms an anode of a diode and the SNW forms a cathode of the diode. The SNW is spaced apart from the SPW by a well space region; and a thin field relief oxide structure lies over the well space region.

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 spectrometer comprising an optical input for receiving spectral light, a single photon avalanche diode (133), an array (131) of multi-photon detector elements (134), and a spectral dispersive optic (143) arranged to disperse the spectral light into a spectrum. The spectrometer further comprises a device (145) arranged to: direct the spectrum to both the single photon detector avalanche diode (133) and the array (131) of multi-photon detector elements (134); and / or selectively direct the spectrum to either one of the single photon avalanche diode (133) and the array (131) of multi-photon detector elements (134).