Avalanche Photodiodes in Submicron CMOS Technologies for High-Sensitivity Imaging

Abstract

In this Chapter, after reviewing basic operation principles, figures of merit, and state-of-the- art, we report on the design and experimental characterization of both Geiger- and linear- mode avalanche photodiodes devices fabricated in different submicron CMOS technologies. The electro-optical properties are evaluated, underlining the impact of technology scaling on the device characteristics. Moreover, we discuss the main design issues relevant to integrated read-out channels for SPADs to be used in active pixel sensor arrays for high- sensitivity imaging applications.