Using PSPICE to simulate the photoresponse of ideal CMOS integrated circuit photodiodes

This paper presents a PSPICE circuit model for simulating the static photoresponse of ideal CMOS based integrated circuit (IC) photodiodes. The model is currently being used in the analysis of laser-assisted single-event effects (SEEs) in CMOS microelectronic circuits. It is, however, general enough to be useful in the design of digital CMOS optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). The model is based on a standard solution to the drift-diffusion semiconductor device equations assuming ideal low-level injection (LLI) conditions. PSPICE subcircuits are presented for n⁺-P_sub,P⁺-n_well, and n_well-P_sub photodiode types. The models are verified by comparing the results obtained from PSPICE circuit simulations to those obtained from a commercially available numerical semiconductor device simulator