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Spad array with pixel-level bias control

  • US 9,997,551 B2
  • Filed: 12/20/2015
  • Issued: 06/12/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A sensing device, comprising:

  • a global bias generator, which is configured to generate a global bias voltage;

    an array of sensing elements, each sensing element coupled to receive the global bias voltage and comprising;

    a photodiode, comprising a p-n junction; and

    a local biasing circuit, coupled in series with the photodiode and the global bias voltage and configured to apply an excess bias voltage across the p-n junction so as to reverse-bias the p-n junction at a total bias voltage that is a sum of the global bias voltage and the excess bias voltage and is greater than a breakdown voltage of the p-n junction by a margin sufficient so that a single photon incident on the p-n junction triggers an avalanche pulse output from the sensing element; and

    a bias control circuit, which is coupled to set the excess bias voltage in different ones of the sensing elements to different, respective values.

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