Photodetection circuit having at least one counter operative in response to a mode switching circuit and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012534-B2
Application number	US-201415318373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A photodetection circuit includes an avalanche photodiode and a mode switching circuit that may be configured to selectively switch an operating mode of the photodetection circuit between linear mode and Geiger mode. The photodetection circuit may further include a quenching circuit configured to quench and reset the avalanche photodiode in response to an avalanche event when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode. The photodetection circuit may additionally include an integration circuit configured to integrate photocurrent output by the photodiode and generate integrated charge units when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode. The photodetection circuit may also include a counter configured to count pulses output by the avalanche photodiode when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode and to count integrated charge units generated by the integration circuit when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photodetection circuit configured to selectively operate in either linear mode or Geiger mode, the photodetection circuit comprising:
an avalanche photodiode;
a mode switching circuit configured to selectively switch an operating mode of the photodetection circuit between linear mode and Geiger mode by modifying a bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode during operation of the photodetection circuit;
a quenching circuit configured to quench and reset the avalanche photodiode in response to an avalanche event when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode;
an integration circuit configured to integrate photocurrent output by the avalanche photodiode and generate integrated charge units based at least in part on the integrated photocurrent when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode; and
at least one counter, wherein:
the at least one counter is configured to count pulses output by the avalanche photodiode in response to photon impact events when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode, and
the at least one counter is configured to count integrated charge units generated by the integration circuit when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode.

2. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , further configured to selectively operate in one of the linear mode, the Geiger mode, and a time-of-flight measurement mode, wherein
the mode switching circuit is configured to selectively switch the operating mode of the photodetection circuit between linear mode, Geiger mode, and time-of-flight measurement mode by modifying the bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode during operation of the photodetection circuit,
the quenching circuit is configured to quench and reset the avalanche photodiode in response to an avalanche event when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode and time-of-flight measurement mode, and
the at least one counter is configured to count pulses output by the avalanche photodiode in response to photon impact events when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode and time-of-flight measurement mode.

3. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the photodetection circuit is implemented on a three-dimensional structure comprised of a plurality of tiers, the avalanche photodiode, the quenching circuit, the integration circuit, and the at least one counter being distributed among the plurality of tiers.

4. The photodetection circuit of claim 3 , wherein the avalanche photodiode of the first tier and the quenching circuit, integration circuit, and the at least one counter of the second tier all comprise complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry.

5. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the quenching circuit comprises an active quenching circuit, the active quenching circuit configured, in response to sensing an avalanche event, to:
lower a reverse bias voltage applied to the avalanche photodiode; and
following a delay period, raise the bias voltage above a breakdown voltage associated with the avalanche photodiode to reset the avalanche photodiode.

6. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the quenching circuit comprises a passive quenching circuit.

7. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the integration circuit comprises a sigma-delta modulation circuit.

8. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the mode switching circuit is configured to:
apply a first bias voltage to the avalanche photodiode to operate the photodetection circuit in Geiger mode, the first bias voltage exceeding a breakdown voltage associated with the avalanche photodiode; and
apply a second bias voltage to the avalanche photodiode to operate the photodetection circuit in linear mode, the second bias voltage being less than the breakdown voltage.

9. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the mode switching circuit is configured to selectively switch the operation mode of the photodetection circuit in response to a control signal generated externally to the photodetection circuit.

10. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the mode switching circuit is configured to selectively switch the operation mode of the photodetection circuit in response to a control signal generated within the photodetection circuit.

11. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the photodetection circuit further comprises:
a plurality of avalanche photodiodes;
a plurality of quenching circuits; and
a plurality of integration circuits;
wherein each of the plurality of avalanche diodes is coupled with a respective one of the plurality of quenching circuits and a respective one of the plurality of integration circuits;
wherein the at least one counter is configured to count pulses output by the avalanche photodiodes in response to photon impact events when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode; and
wherein the at least one counter is configured to count integrated charge units generated by the integration circuits when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode.

12. The photodetection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the photodetection circuit is embodied on a camera device, the photodetection circuit being configured to sense at least a portion of an image for capture by the camera device.

13. A method of operating a photodetection circuit configured to selectively operate in either linear mode or Geiger mode, the method comprising:
operating the photodetection circuit in one of linear mode or Geiger mode;
reading a counter value generated based at least in part on an amount of light detected by the photodetection circuit;
determining if the counter value has exceeded a defined threshold value; and
if it is determined that the counter value has exceeded the defined threshold value:
switching from Geiger mode to linear mode if the photodetection circuit is being operated in Geiger mode; and
adjusting an operating parameter of an integration circuit used to integrate photocurrent if the photodetection circuit is being operated in linear mode.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the defined threshold value is a counter overflow of a counter used to maintain the counter value.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the operating parameter of the integration circuit comprises adjusting an integration time threshold.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the operating parameter of the integration circuit comprises increasing a threshold amount of photocurrent that is integrated per integrated charge unit generated by the integration circuit.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the photodetection circuit is operated in Geiger mode, the counter value comprises a count of photon impact events detected by the photodetection circuit.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the photodetection circuit is operated in linear mode, the counter value comprises a count of integrated charge units generated by the integration circuit based at least in part on integrated photocurrent produced from light detected by the photodetection circuit.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein switching from Geiger mode to linear mode comprises adjusting a bias voltage applied to an avalanche photodiode of the photodetection circuit.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising actively quenching and resetting an avalanche photodiode implemented on the photodetection circuit in response to an avalanche event when the photodetection c

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Andreou Andreas G
• Lin Joseph H
• Pouliquen Philippe O
• Rizk Charbel G

Classifications

• G01J2001/442

  Single-photon detection or photon counting · CPC title

• G01J1/44 Primary

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title

• G01J2001/4406

  Plural ranges in circuit, e.g. switchable ranges; Adjusting sensitivity selecting gain values · CPC title

• G01J2001/4466

  Avalanche · CPC title

• G01J2001/448

  Array [CCD] · CPC title