Study of avalanche statistics in very low noise AlGaAsSb APDs using a multi-channel analyzer

Lucas L. G. Pinel; Chee Hing Tan; Jo Shien Ng

doi:10.1117/12.2326846

18 September 2018 Study of avalanche statistics in very low noise AlGaAsSb APDs using a multi-channel analyzer

Lucas L. G. Pinel, Chee Hing Tan, Jo Shien Ng

Proceedings Volume 10729, Optical Sensing, Imaging, and Photon Counting: From X-Rays to THz; 107290O (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2326846
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2018, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The usefulness of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) resides in their ability to produce internal gain via impact ionization without generating excessive noise. This process is stochastic and the gain values fluctuate around a mean value, giving rise to the so-called excess noise. In this work, we evaluate the gain fluctuations in APDs using a multi-channel analyzer (MCA). Two Al_0.85Ga_0.15As_0.56Sb ^0.44APDs, one p-i-n and one n-i-p were used. Illuminated with a pulsed light source, the APDs were connected to a charge-sensitive amplifier, counting the number of charges created by each avalanche event initiated by the light pulse. The signal was subsequently sent to an MCA, recording the gain values and outputting a gain spectrum. Both APDs were investigated for mean gains up to ~ 9. For a given mean gain, the gain distribution for the n-i-p diode was found to be significantly broader than for the p-i-n diode, as expected from the excess noise values previously measured in those devices. The coefficient of variance (CoV), defined as the ratio of standard deviation to mean value of the gain peaks, was found to be low for the p-i-n APD, consistent with the low excess noise values in this material. For higher mean gain values, the CoV of the n-i-p APD gave higher values than for the p-i-n APD, again corroborating the conventional excess noise measurements.

Citation Download Citation

Lucas L. G. Pinel, Chee Hing Tan, and Jo Shien Ng "Study of avalanche statistics in very low noise AlGaAsSb APDs using a multi-channel analyzer", Proc. SPIE 10729, Optical Sensing, Imaging, and Photon Counting: From X-Rays to THz, 107290O (18 September 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2326846

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
5 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Avalanche photodetectors

Diodes

Ionization

Signal to noise ratio

Statistical analysis

Analytical research

Avalanche photodiodes

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years