Active quench circuit and reset circuit for avalanche photodiode
US5532474A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/74
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An active quench circuit for interrupting the current flow in an avalanche photodiode (APD) operating in Geiger mode and for resetting the APD. The invention increases the speed of quenching and reduces the time required to bring the APD voltage back to its operating voltage above the breakdown voltage. The circuit includes a small inductor which isolates the reset circuit from the APD during the initial discharge and which provides a current pulse into the APD immediately after the end of the quenching operation to recharge the diode. The reset circuit also includes a diode assembly that increases the speed of the avalanche current pulse and that prevents the circuit from oscillating or latching under certain operating conditions. The circuit presents a low impedance to the APD during during reset, and is much less sensitive to the APD capacitance than prior art circuits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.