Programmable SiPM arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12147000-B2
Application number	US-202117411845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2021
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods relating to configurable silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) devices. An example device includes a substrate and a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) coupled to the substrate. The device also includes a plurality of outputs coupled to the substrate and a plurality of electrical components coupled to the substrate. The plurality of electrical components are configured to selectively connect the plurality of SPADs to the plurality of outputs by selecting which output of the plurality of outputs is connected to each SPAD of the plurality of SPADs and to thereby define a plurality of SiPMs in the device such that each SiPM of the plurality of SiPMs comprises a respective set of one or more SPADs connected to a respective output of the plurality of outputs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of light-detecting elements coupled to the substrate;
a plurality of outputs coupled to the substrate;
a plurality of electrical components coupled to the substrate, wherein the plurality of electrical components are configured to selectively connect the plurality of light-detecting elements to the plurality of outputs by selecting which output of the plurality of outputs is connected to each light-detecting element of the plurality of light-detecting elements and to thereby define a plurality of detectors in the device such that each detector of the plurality of detectors comprises a respective set of one or more light-detecting elements connected to a respective output of the plurality of outputs; and
a plurality of apertures are optically coupled to the plurality of light-detecting elements, wherein, for each aperture, which light-detecting elements detect light received via the respective aperture is identified and one or more electrical components of the plurality of electrical components is selectively connected or disconnected.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one of:
silicon, gallium, arsenide, silicon-on-insulator, or a printed circuit board.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-detecting elements comprise at least one of: silicon, germanium, GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaAs, InP, or InGaAsP.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical components are configured to selectively connect the plurality of light-detecting elements to the plurality of outputs only a single time.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical components are configured to selectively connect the plurality of light-detecting elements to the plurality of outlets in a dynamic fashion.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical components comprise transistors.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical components comprise permanently severable connections.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the permanently severable connections comprise at least one of: a switch, a fuse, or a laser-trimmable trace.

9. A light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
at least one light-emitter device; and
a receiver subsystem, wherein the receiver subsystem comprises:
a substrate;
a plurality of light-detecting elements coupled to the substrate;
a plurality of outputs coupled to the substrate;
a plurality of electrical components coupled to the substrate, wherein the plurality of electrical components are selectable to control which output of the plurality of outputs is connected to each light-detecting element of the plurality of light-detecting elements and to thereby define a plurality of detectors in the receiver subsystem; and
an aperture array comprising a plurality of apertures, wherein the detectors and the aperture array are aligned so as to define a plurality of receiver channels, wherein each receiver channel comprises a respective detector optically coupled to a respective aperture of the plurality of apertures, and wherein, for each aperture, which light-detecting elements detect light received via the respective aperture is identified and one or more electrical components of the plurality of electrical components is selectively connected or disconnected.

10. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein each detector comprises a respective contiguous region of the plurality of light-detecting elements.

11. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical components are selectable only a single time.

12. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical components are dynamically selectable.

13. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical components comprise transistors.

14. The LIDAR system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical components comprise permanently severable connections.

15. The LIDAR system of claim 14 , wherein the permanently severable connections comprise at least one of: a switch, a fuse, or a laser-trimmable trace.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, at a device, light via each of a plurality of apertures, wherein the device comprises (i) a plurality of light-detecting elements; (ii) a plurality of outputs; and (iii) a plurality of electrical components that are selectable to connect the plurality of light-detecting elements to the plurality of outputs by selecting which output of the plurality of outputs is connected to each light-detecting element of the plurality of light-detecting elements to define one or more detectors in the device, wherein the light-detecting elements, the plurality of outputs, and the plurality of electrical components are coupled to a substrate; and
for each aperture, identifying which light-detecting elements detect light received via the respective aperture and selecting one or more electrical components of the plurality of electrical components to electrically connect or disconnect.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises an array of pinholes optically coupled to the device.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
Optically coupling the plurality of apertures to the device.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more electrical components comprise at least one of: a transistor or a severable connection, wherein the severable connection comprises at least one of: a switch, a fuse, or a laser-trimmable trace.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein selecting the one or more electrical components is performed dynamically.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Verghese Simon
• Onal Caner
• Droz Pierre-Yves

Classifications

• H10F30/225

  the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes · CPC title

• H10F39/107

  having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays · CPC title

• H10F39/103 Primary

  the at least one element covered by H10F30/00 having potential barriers, e.g. integrated devices comprising photodiodes or phototransistors · CPC title

• G01S17/90

  using synthetic aperture techniques · CPC title

• G01T1/2018

  Scintillation-photodiode combinations · CPC title