Avalanche photodiodes with adaptive quenching of photocurrent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336323-B2
Application number	US-202117801695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a high-speed avalanche photodiode device configured to detect single photons. The avalanche photodiode device may include a passive quenching circuitry. The passive quenching circuitry may include a quenching resistor having a resistivity spontaneously adaptive to a bias voltage applied across the quenching resistor. Such adaptive resistivity enables a fast response time for the avalanche photodiode device when used to detect single photos in Geiger mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photodetector, comprising:
a first electrical port;
a second electrical port;
an avalanche photodiode comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal of the avalanche photodiode is electrically coupled to the second electrical port; and
an adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor electrically coupling the first terminal to the first electrical port,
wherein:
the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor comprises a dielectric layer with reversible bias-voltage dependent resistivity.

2. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein:
the first terminal comprises a cathode of the avalanche photodiode; and
the second terminal comprises an anode of the avalanche photodiode.

3. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein:
the first terminal comprises an anode of the avalanche photodiode; and
the second terminal comprises a cathode of the avalanche photodiode.

4. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer of the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor is characterized by a reversible electrically or thermally driven insulator-to-metal phase transition property.

5. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer of the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor is characterized by a reversible bias-dependent electrical filamentary formation.

6. The photodetector of claim 5 , wherein the resistivity of the dielectric layer has a high value when the bias-voltage across the dielectric layer is zero, the resistivity of the dielectric layer changes from high value to a low value when the bias-voltage across the dielectric layer is increased above a first threshold voltage, and then recovers to the high value when the bias-voltage is subsequently decreased below a second reverse threshold voltage.

7. The photodetector of claim 6 , wherein:
the first reverse threshold voltage is lower than the second reverse threshold voltage; or
the first reverse threshold voltage equals the second reverse threshold voltage.

8. The photodetector of claim 5 , wherein the resistivity of the dielectric layer has a high value when the bias-voltage across the dielectric layer is zero, the resistivity of the dielectric layer changes from the high value to a low value when the bias-voltage across the dielectric layer is increased above a threshold voltage, and then recovers to the high value after the bias-voltage is subsequently reversed in polarity to reset the electrical resistivity to the original high value.

9. The photodetector of claim 5 , wherein:
the avalanche photodiode comprises a P-N junction characterized by a threshold reverse breakdown bias voltage; and
the photodetector further comprises a voltage source connected to the first electrical port and the second electrical port to supply a predetermined voltage such that the avalanche photodiode is reversely biased above the threshold reverse breakdown bias voltage of the P-N junction without photocurrent flowing in the avalanche photodiode.

10. The photodetector of claim 9 , wherein the avalanche photodiode, upon stimulation by a single or more incident photons, is configured to excite multiple photoelectrons to generate a photocurrent pulse which is subsequently quenched by the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor.

11. The photodetector of claim 10 , wherein the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor exhibits a spontaneous change of resistance before, during, and after the photocurrent pulse is quenched.

12. The photodetector of claim 11 , wherein the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor possesses a high resistance prior to the generation of the photocurrent pulse, spontaneously reduces its resistance from the high resistance to a low resistance as the photocurrent pulse is quenched, and recovers the high resistance after the photocurrent pulse is quenched.

13. The photodetector of claim 12 , wherein the spontaneous change of resistance of the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor is accompanied by a reverse bias voltage across the avalanche photodiode varying from a first value that is greater in magnitude than the threshold reverse breakdown bias voltage of the P-N junction, to a second value that is smaller in magnitude than the threshold reverse breakdown bias voltage of the P-N junction, and followed by reverting back to the first value, before, during, and after the photocurrent pulse is quenched.

14. The photodetector of claim 12 , wherein a duration during which the photocurrent pulse is quenched is determined by the low resistance of the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor and a photodetector junction capacitance of the avalanche photodiode.

15. The photodetector of claim 14 , wherein the duration during which the photocurrent pulse is quenched is 100 nanosecond or faster.

16. The photodetector of claim 12 , wherein the low resistance is between one and fifteen orders of magnitude lower than the high resistance for the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor.

17. The photodetector of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric layer of the adaptive photocurrent quenching resistor resembles a near-insulator when a low voltage below a transition voltage for the dielectric layer is applied and develops the electrical filamentary formation when a high voltage above the transition voltage is applied.

18. The photodetector of claim 17 , wherein the electrical filamentary formation comprises a bulk effect in the dielectric layer resulting in a change in a bulk electrical conductivity of the dielectric layer as a function of a voltage applied across the dielectric layer.

19. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the reversible bias-dependent electrical filamentary formation causes a reversible electrical conduction breakdown within the dielectric layer.

20. The photodetector of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises an oxide of Al, a hydroxide of Al, a mixed oxide and hydroxide of Al, an oxide of one or more of Hf, Zr, Y, La, Ti, Ce, Sm, Er, Yb, Ta, or V, a hydroxide of one or more of Hf, Zr, Y, La, Ti, Ce, Sm, Er, Yb, Ta, or V, or a mixed oxide and hydroxide of one of more of Hf, Zr, Y, La, Ti, Ce, Sm, Er, Yb, Ta, or V.

Assignees

• Univ Chicago
• The Univ Of Virginia Patent Foundation
• Univ Virginia Patent Foundation

Inventors

• Zheng Jiyuan
• Guha Supratik
• Campbell Joe C

Classifications

• H10F30/225

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

• G01J1/44

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

• H10F77/959 Primary

  for devices working in avalanche mode · CPC title

• G01J2001/442

  Single-photon detection or photon counting · CPC title

• G01J1/46 Primary

  using a capacitor · CPC title