Patent ID: 11735677

Abstract:
A dynamic photodiode detector or detector array having a light absorbing region of doped semiconductor material for absorbing photons. Electrons or holes generated by photon absorption are detected with a construction of oppositely heavily doped anode and cathode regions and a heavily doped ground region of the same doping type as the anode region. Photon detection involves switching the device from reverse bias to forward bias to create a depletion region enclosing the anode region. When a photon is then absorbed the electron or hole thereby generated drifts under the electric field induced by the biasing to the depletion region where it causes the anode-to-ground current to increase. Furthermore, the detector is configured such that anode-to-cathode current starts to flow once a threshold number of electrons or holes reaches the depletion region, where the threshold may be one to provide single photon detection.