Linear-mode avalanche photodiode arrays in HgCdTe at Leonardo UK

Egle Zemaityte; Dan Owton; Chris Maxey; Jim Gordon; Vincent Isgar; Les Hipwood; Matthew Hicks; Keith Barnes; Peter Thorne; Ian Baker

doi:10.1117/12.2634331

26 August 2022 Linear-mode avalanche photodiode arrays in HgCdTe at Leonardo UK

Egle Zemaityte, Dan Owton, Chris Maxey, Jim Gordon, Vincent Isgar, Les Hipwood, Matthew Hicks, Keith Barnes, Peter Thorne, Ian Baker

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12183, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VIII; 1218317 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2634331
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Abstract

Linear-mode, avalanche photodiode arrays (LmAPDs) based on bandgap-engineered HgCdTe, grown by Metal Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) are used in low-flux applications, where the signal-to-noise ratio would otherwise be very low. The LmAPD mesa-device architecture provides 100% fill factor, low crosstalk and minimal interpixel capacitance. Saphira (320×256/24 μm) devices operating at an avalanche gain of 50-100 and temperature of 80-90 K are deployed in 12 telescopes as wavefront sensors and notably control the four 8.2 m telescopes in the Very Large Telescope (VLT) interferometer. Some of these devices have operated for many years at full gain. Applications now split into three main categories. Firstly, those with intrinsically weak infrared sources that need moderate avalanche gain but very low dark current – 1k×1k/15 μm and 2k×2k/15 μm arrays are currently in development to service this requirement. Secondly, future adaptive optics (AO) systems, associated with 30 m class telescopes, require larger arrays and frame-rates over 2000 frames/s. A 512×512/24 μm device, specifically for pyramid wavefront sensors, is currently under development for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). The third category covers high speed (GHz) APDs mainly for free-space optical communications and LIDAR. This paper provides an update on the technology and status of the developments.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Egle Zemaityte, Dan Owton, Chris Maxey, Jim Gordon, Vincent Isgar, Les Hipwood, Matthew Hicks, Keith Barnes, Peter Thorne, and Ian Baker "Linear-mode avalanche photodiode arrays in HgCdTe at Leonardo UK", Proc. SPIE 12183, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VIII, 1218317 (26 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2634331

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