SPECTRAL SENSITIVE SOLID-STATE PHOTODETECTOR
First Claim
1. A method for detecting photons, comprising:
- subjecting a photodiode formed in a semi-conductive material to a bias voltage such that an avalanche phenomenon is triggered in an avalanche layer of the photodiode when a photon enters the photodiode,wherein the avalanche layer extends into the semi-conductive material down to minimum and maximum depths so that it can be reached by photons having a wavelength between minimum and maximum wavelengths,the method further comprising;
comparing the amplitude of a signal supplied by the photodiode with two different threshold values, anddeducing that the photodiode has received a photon having a wavelength between two threshold wavelengths ranging between the minimum and maximum wavelengths, if the amplitude of the signal is between the two threshold values.
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Abstract
A method for detecting photons includes subjecting a photodiode formed in a semi-conductive material, to a bias voltage such that an avalanche phenomenon can appear when a photon enters the photodiode in an avalanche layer extending into the semi-conductive material down to minimum and maximum depths so that it can be reached by photons having a wavelength between minimum and maximum wavelengths. The method also includes comparing the amplitude of a signal supplied by the photodiode with two threshold values, and deducing that the photodiode received a photon having a wavelength between two threshold wavelengths ranging between the minimum and maximum wavelengths, if the amplitude of the signal is between the two threshold values.
8 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for detecting photons, comprising:
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subjecting a photodiode formed in a semi-conductive material to a bias voltage such that an avalanche phenomenon is triggered in an avalanche layer of the photodiode when a photon enters the photodiode, wherein the avalanche layer extends into the semi-conductive material down to minimum and maximum depths so that it can be reached by photons having a wavelength between minimum and maximum wavelengths, the method further comprising; comparing the amplitude of a signal supplied by the photodiode with two different threshold values, and deducing that the photodiode has received a photon having a wavelength between two threshold wavelengths ranging between the minimum and maximum wavelengths, if the amplitude of the signal is between the two threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification