Title :
SiPM based smart pixel for photon counting integrated streak camera
Author :
Malass, Imane ; Uhring, Wilfried ; Le Normand, Jean-Pierre ; Dumas, Norbert ; Zint, Virginie ; Dadouche, Foudil
Author_Institution :
ICube, Univ. of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Abstract :
A Macropixel for photon counting integrated streak camera has been developed in a 180nm standard CMOS process. It includes a 4×4 array of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD) acting as a small and smart SiPM (Silicon Photo Multiplier), a unique quenching circuit and a 16 bits memory for smart pixel operation. The total Macropixel size is 32×314 μm2, with a sensitive area size of 32×32 μm2. The SPAD pitch of 8 μm makes possible to use the standard micro-lens option proposed by the image sensor process and thus to increase the fill factor from the actual 7% up to nearly 100%. Thanks to the embedded memory, each SPAD can be individually enabled or disabled in order to reduce the dark count rate and consequently improve the signal to noise ratio.
Keywords :
CMOS image sensors; avalanche photodiodes; photomultipliers; streak cameras; CMOS process; SPAD pitch; SiPM based smart pixel; image sensor; photon counting integrated streak camera; silicon photomultiplier; single photon avalanche diode; size 180 nm; standard microlens option; streak camera macropixel; Arrays; Cameras; Image resolution; Photonics; Signal to noise ratio; SPAD; SiPM; Smart sensor; Streak camera;
Conference_Titel :
Design and Architectures for Signal and Image Processing (DASIP), 2013 Conference on
Conference_Location :
Cagliari
