Development of Ge on Si single-photon avalanche diode imaging arrays for short wave infrared imaging

M. M. Mirza; J. Kirdoda; C. Smith; D. C. S. Dumas; C. McCarthy; R. W. Miller; Douglas J. Paul; F. E. Fleming; L. Saalbach; L. Huddlestone; K. Kateryna; P. Vines; D. Muir; M. Modak; Z. Greener; Y. Xin; Gerald S. Buller; X. Jin; Q. Tan; J. P. R. David

doi:10.1117/12.3035561

1 November 2024 Development of Ge on Si single-photon avalanche diode imaging arrays for short wave infrared imaging

M. M. Mirza, J. Kirdoda, C. Smith, D. C. S. Dumas, C. McCarthy, R. W. Miller, Douglas J. Paul, F. E. Fleming, L. Saalbach, L. Huddlestone, K. Kateryna, P. Vines, D. Muir, M. Modak, Z. Greener, Y. Xin, Gerald S. Buller, X. Jin, Q. Tan, J. P. R. David

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13200, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XXI; 132000A (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3035561
Event: Security + Defence, 2024, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

Results from the development of substrate illuminated planar Ge on Si Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD) imaging arrays will be presented operating at short wave infrared wavelengths. Simulations have been used to optimize the designs aiming to reduce dark count rates and increase the number of absorbed photons aiming for Pelter cooler operation whilst also minimizing cross talk. To date the highest performance of Ge on Si SPADs has been demonstrated at 125 K with 38% single photon detection efficiencies and a noise equivalent power of 8e-17 W/√Hz. Surface illuminated devices have demonstrated single photon detection efficiencies up to 38% for 1 μm thick Ge absorbers and the present work will present results from 2 μm and 3 μm thick Ge absorbers aiming to increase the absorption of incident photons. The paper will describe the compromises between absorbing more photons compared to dark count rates and jitter. Examples of single photon LiDAR applications at 1310 to 1550 nm will be presented and the performance from Ge on Si SPADs will be compared to InGaAs SPAD technology in terms of single photon detection efficiency, dark count rates, afterpulsing, jitter and operating temperatures. Afterpulsing measurements demonstrate significant reductions compared to InGaAs SPADs operated under nominally identical conditions by a factor of 5 to 10. The performance of the surface illuminated SPADs in linear mode as avalanche photodetectors will also be presented. Operation at 1550 nm wavelengths at room temperature has demonstrated responsivities at unity gain of 0.41 A/W, maximum avalanche gain of 101 and an excess noise factor of 3.1 at a gain of 20 for 50 μm diameter photodetectors.

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M. M. Mirza, J. Kirdoda, C. Smith, D. C. S. Dumas, C. McCarthy, R. W. Miller, Douglas J. Paul, F. E. Fleming, L. Saalbach, L. Huddlestone, K. Kateryna, P. Vines, D. Muir, M. Modak, Z. Greener, Y. Xin, Gerald S. Buller, X. Jin, Q. Tan, and J. P. R. David "Development of Ge on Si single-photon avalanche diode imaging arrays for short wave infrared imaging", Proc. SPIE 13200, Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems: Technology and Applications XXI, 132000A (1 November 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3035561

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