Silicon Photomultiplier - New Era of Photon Detection

Abstract

More then 50 years Photomultiplier Tubes (PMT’s) fills the area of low photon flux detection practically without alternative (Hammamatsu Photonics K.K., 2006), despite the fact that is very well known many disadvantages of this devices. Concerning modern semiconductor structures for the photon detection, few options were investigated for the detecting of the low photon flux, but main critical problem to develop the semiconductor device was the relative high level of thermal noise of semiconductor detector structure and associated frontend electronics. One of the solutions, overcome this problem is Visible Light Photon Counter (VLPC) (Atac, 1993). This device is semiconductor avalanche structure operated at the temperature of 4K, for the suppression of thermal noise. The results was successful possibility to detect low photon flux up to single photon, but operational conditions are to complicated to be acceptable for wide area application, cryostat for the 4K temperature up to now is challenge even in the laboratory conditions. Development of the modern detection structures for the low photon flux Si was initiated at the beginning of 90’th from studies of Silicon Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) structures with avalanche breakdown mode operation for the detecting of single visible light photons [Gasanov et al., 1989]. The results were positive, but strong limitation was the necessity to include external recharge circuits for the discharge the detector structure after charging the MOS structure during the photons detection. Next step was implementation of special resistive layer instead oxide layers, Metal Resistive Semiconductor (MRS) structures, which gives the possibility to recharge the structure after photon detection and in addition to control the breakdown avalanche process by quenching. Such structures had very high and stable amplification characteristics for photons detection, in comparison to conventional avalanche photodetector structures, but limited sensitive area. The idea of Silicon Photomultiplier or more precisely Silicon Photoelectron Multipliers was created for overcoming problem of above mentioned structures as small sensitive area due to nonstability of amplification over large area, low dynamic range, improving the resolution. It was decided create the fine metal resistor semiconductor structure with local space distributed pn-junctions (micro-cells) and common output. The result was fascinated, first time clear single photon spectra was detected on the semiconductor structure at room temperature. Results of study such structures was presented on the 9th European semiconductor conference in 1995 (Saveliev, 1995). Source: Advances in Optical and Photonic Devices, Book edited by: Ki Young Kim, ISBN 978-953-7619-76-3, pp. 352, January 2010, INTECH, Croatia, downloaded from SCIYO.COM