Measurement and modeling of silicon photomultiplier devices by means of S-parameter techniques

Basic equivalent circuit models for silicon photomultipliers are used to predict their behavior in application circuits. Time domain output waveforms can be analyzed to gain an estimation of equivalent circuit parameters. Measurement of frequency domain S-parameters provides an alternate and potentially more accurate method to obtain equivalent circuit values. A vector network analyzer and on-wafer probe are used both directly at the device contacts and via bonded alumina substrate to accurately measure the single port scattering parameter (S-parameter) of sample silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photon detectors over a range of applied bias voltages. The results are then compared to circuit simulation models.