✔ Avalanche Photodiode

Avalanche Photodiode

- April 07, 2018

An avalanche photodiode is a semiconductor based photodetector which is operated with a relatively high reverse voltage typically tens or even hundreds of volts sometimes just below breakdown. This enables avalanche multiplication of the holes and electrons created by the photon light impact.

A Compact And Sensitive Avalanche Photodiode Based Gamma

Avalanche Photodiode

Rp Photonics Encyclopedia Avalanche Photodiodes Apd

The avalanche photodiode possesses a similar structure to that of the pn or pin photodiode.

Avalanche photodiode. From a functional standpoint they can be regarded as the semiconductor analog of photomultipliers. The silicon avalanche photodiode si apd is a photon detection device that offers high internal gain. An avalanche diode structure similar to that of a schottky photodiode may also be used but the use of this version is much less common.

An avalanche photodiode apd provides higher sensitivity than a standard photodiode and is for extreme low level light lll detection and photon counting. As with a conventional photodiode absorption of incident photons creates electron hole pairs. The si avalanche photodiodes from our in house production are well suited for the recognition of even the smallest amount of light right down to single photons.

Main applications are photon counting laser radar systems and biomedical applications. For the nir range ingaas apds with a diameter of 80 um and 200 um are manufactured. We also offer several patented large area configurations laapd enhanced for a variety of regions of the spectrum.

Avalanche photodiodes are commercially available that span the wavelength range from 300nm to 1700nm. Avalanche photodiodes are diodes with an internal gain mechanism. In this regime carriers electrons and holes excited by absorbed photons are strongly accelerated in the strong internal electric field so that they can generate secondary carriers.

As in the case of standard diodes photons generate electron hole pairs which are accelerated by the applied external voltage such that further electrons are introduced to the conduction band by means of impact ionization. Hamamatsu avalanche photodiodes apds are silicon photodiodes with an internal gain mechanism. Similar to photomultipliers avalanche photodiodes are used to detect extremely weak light intensities.

Silicon apds can be used between 300nm to 1100nm germanium between 800nm and 1600nm and ingaas from 900nm to 1700nm. It is ideal for use in high speed low light level applications. The use of apds instead of pin photodetectors will result in improved sensitivity in many applications.

The main difference of the avalanche photodiode to other forms of photodiode is that it operates under a high reverse bias condition. An avalanche photodiode apd is a highly sensitive semiconductor photodiode that exploits the photoelectric effect to convert light into electricity. A high reverse bias voltage creates a strong internal electric field which accelerates the electrons through the silicon crystal lattice and produces secondary electrons by impact ionization.

Si apds are used in the wavelength range from 250 to 1100 nm and ingaas is used as semiconductor material in apds for the wavelength range from 1100 to 1700 nm.