Silicon photomultipliers with internal calibration circuitry
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJianjun Guo, Sergei Ivanovich Dolinsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A silicon photomultiplier includes a plurality of microcells providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation, each microcell including circuitry configured to enable and disable the pulse output. Each microcell includes a cell disable switch. The control logic circuit controls the cell disable switch and a self-test circuit. A microcell's pulse output is disabled when the cell disable switch is in a first state. A method for self-test calibration of microcells includes providing a test enable signal to the microcells, integrating dark current for a predetermined time period, comparing the integrated dark current to a predetermined threshold level, and providing a signal if above the predetermined threshold level.
Claims18
A silicon photomultiplier array comprising:
- a plurality of microcells each providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation, each microcell including circuitry configured to enable and disable the pulse output;
- each of the plurality of microcells including a cell disable switch and a self-test circuit, wherein the pulse output is disabled when the cell disable switch is in a first state;
- a row counter connected to a predefined row among the plurality of microcells, and configured to count a latch signal output of each microcell of the predefined row;
- and
- a pixel controller connected to the row counter, the pixel controller configured to provide a signal to a control logic circuit of each of the plurality of microcells, wherein the row counter provides a dark count high indication signal to the pixel controller.
A silicon photomultiplier array comprising:
- a plurality of microcells for providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation, each microcell including circuitry configured to enable and disable the pulse output;
- each of the plurality of microcells including a cell disable switch and a self-test circuit, wherein the pulse output is disabled when the cell disable switch is in a first state;
- each of the plurality of microcells including:
- an avalanche photodiode having an anode terminal and a cathode terminal;
- a first operational amplifier having an output terminal, a first input terminal in electrical communication with the cathode terminal and a second input terminal connected to a reference voltage level;
- a second operational amplifier having an input in electrical communication with the first operational amplifier output, the second operational amplifier having another input connected to a threshold voltage and an output in electrical communication with a one shot pulse circuit;
- a one shot pulse circuit configured to generate the pulse output;
- and
- a latch circuit in electrical communication with the second operational amplifier output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.