A sensing apparatus includes a sensor and a processor. The sensor includes at least one light sensitive detector. The processor determines a first control value to control a voltage differential across the at least one light sensitive detector, and compares the first control value with a reference value associated with a reference temperature. Based on the comparison, the processor provides adjustment information for adjusting at least one output of the sensing apparatus, and an operating parameter of the sensing apparatus other than the voltage differential.

There is provided a photodiode array including a semiconducting substrate and a plurality of photodiodes that are disposed at a surface of the substrate. Each photodiode is laterally spaced apart from neighboring photodiodes by a lateral substrate surface region. An optical interface surface of the substrate is arranged for accepting external input radiation. A plurality of electrically conducting fuses are disposed on the substrate surface. Each fuse is connected to a photodiode in the plurality of photodiodes. Each fuse is disposed at a lateral substrate surface region that is spaced apart from neighboring photodiodes in the plurality of photodiodes.

Distance measurement accuracy is improved. An avalanche photodiode sensor according to an embodiment includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate bonded to a first surface of the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the first semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions arranged in a matrix and an element separation portion, the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions include a first photoelectric conversion portion, the element separation portion has a first element separation region and a second element separation region, the first photoelectric conversion portion is arranged between the first element separation region and the second element separation region, the first semiconductor substrate further includes a plurality of concave-convex portions on a second surface opposite to the first surface and between the first element separation region and the second element separation region, and the second semiconductor substrate includes a reading circuit connected to each of the photoelectric conversion portions.

A photoelectric conversion device according to the present invention includes a first pixel including a first avalanche photodiode, a second pixel including a second avalanche photodiode, and an isolating portion that isolates the first pixel and the second pixel, wherein in a plan view, a distance from a center of the first pixel to the isolating portion is longer than a distance from a center of the second pixel to the isolating portion.

A single-photon avalanche diode and a manufacturing method thereof, a detector array, and an image sensor are disclosed. The back-side illuminated single-photon avalanche diode is disposed with a light-trapping structure and a sidewall reflection wall. Incident light is reflected, scattered, and refracted by the light-trapping structure and then dispersed to various angles, and with the addition of the reflection effect of the sidewall reflection wall, the effective optical path of the light in the back-side illuminated single-photon avalanche diode can be extended. The manufacturing method of a back-side illuminated single-photon avalanche diode achieves the manufacturing of the back-side illuminated single-photon avalanche diode. For the photoelectric detector array and the image sensor including the back-side illuminated single-photon avalanche diode, since they have the back side illumination single-photon avalanche diode, light absorption efficiencies of the photoelectric detector array and the image sensor are effectively improved.

There is provided a readout circuit (100) for a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM; 200). The photomultiplier (SiPM; 200) has a first main output (Sout) and a capacitively coupled second output (Fout). The readout circuit (100) comprises a combiner (110) having inputs (IN1, IN2) for receiving signals originating from the first main output (Sout) and the second output (Fout) of the Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM; 200) and configured to generate a combined signal based on the received signals. A first signal path is defined between the first main output (Sout) and a first one (IN1) of the inputs of the combiner (110). A second signal path is defined between the second output (Fout) and a second one (IN2) of the inputs of the combiner (110). The readout circuit (100) further comprises circuitry (120) arranged in at least one of the first signal path and the second signal path and configured to at least partially provide isolation between the first main output (Sout) and the second output (Fout) of the Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM; 200) during operation.

This application discloses a unit structure of a silicon photomultiplier tube, including a first conductive type heavily doped first electrode region located on a first side of the shallow trench isolation, a second conductive type heavily doped second electrode region located on a second side, and a quenching resistor located on a top surface of the shallow trench isolation. A photosensitive layer is formed in the silicon substrate at bottoms of the first electrode region, the shallow trench isolation and the second electrode region. The first electrode region, the photosensitive layer and the second electrode region form a Geiger mode avalanche photodiode. A first end of the quenching resistor is connected to the first electrode region through a first metal interconnect structure. A second end of the quenching resistor is connected to a first electrode. The second electrode region is connected to a second electrode.

A diode radiation sensor having charge multiplication diodes and comprising a substrate with a front and a rear surface; a first layer of a semiconductor material doped with a first type of doping and arranged on the front surface of the substrate; a second layer of a semiconductor material doped with a second type of doping of electrically opposite sign to the first type and arranged to create a high electric field region between the first and the second layer; a third layer of a semiconductor material doped with a the second type of doping; a first isolation region interposed between a lateral edge of a charge multiplication diode and the first and the second layer of the semiconductor materials and extending into the substrate from the front surface to the third layer so as to create a working area electrically separated from the first and the second layer.

According to one embodiment, a light detector includes an element including a photodiode. A plurality of the elements are provided. The element includes a structure body for at least a portion of the plurality of elements. The structure body surrounds the photodiode and has a different refractive index from the photodiode. At least portions of the structure bodies are separated from each other.

A photodetector device includes an avalanche photodiode array substrate formed from compound semiconductor. A plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged to operate in a Geiger mode are two-dimensionally arranged on the avalanche photodiode array substrate. A circuit substrate includes a plurality of output units which are connected to each other in parallel to form at least one channel. Each of the output units includes a passive quenching element and a capacitative element. The passive quenching element is connected in series to at least one of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes. The capacitative element is connected in series to at least one of the avalanche photodiodes and is connected in parallel to the passive quenching element.