Avalanche photo-diodes
US6683294B1 · kind B1 · utility
58Cited by
1References
19Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 24, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 24, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10F30/225
Abstract
The present invention provides an avalanche photo-diode detector arrangement comprising two avalanche photo-iodes, which are each reverse biased to just below their breakdown voltage, are arranged back-to-back and are arranged in series with an oscillating voltage source such that the photodiodes exceed their breakdown voltage out of phase with each other. The oscillating voltage has a period of at least twice and preferably between 4 and 32 times, the avalanche zone transit time of the photo diodes. The detector arrangement achieves low noise and is able to distinguish dark counts.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.