A 2um diameter, 9hz dark count, single photon avalanche diode in 130nm cmos technology

We report a CMOS single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) with a 2um active diameter, 9Hz dark count rate at 20°C, photon detection efficiency peak of 14% at 500nm, implemented in a 130nm process technology. The implicit guard ring structure relies on retrograde well doping and overcomes a key problem in scaling SPAD devices to small dimensions. TCAD-based device simulations point the way to high resolution, high fill-factor single photon imaging.

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