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  4. Toward the Super Temporal Resolution Image Sensor with a Germanium Photodiode for Visible Light
 
research article

Toward the Super Temporal Resolution Image Sensor with a Germanium Photodiode for Visible Light

Ngo, Nguyen Hoai
•
Nguyen, Anh Quang
•
Bufler, Fabian M.
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December 2, 2020
Sensors

The theoretical temporal resolution limit tT of a silicon photodiode (Si PD) is 11.1 ps. We call “super temporal resolution” the temporal resolution that is shorter than that limit. To achieve this resolution, Germanium is selected as a candidate material for the photodiode (Ge PD) for visible light since the absorption coefficient of Ge for the wavelength is several tens of times higher than that of Si, allowing a very thin PD. On the other hand, the saturation drift velocity of electrons in Ge is about 2/3 of that in Si. The ratio suggests an ultra-short propagation time of electrons in the Ge PD. However, the diffusion coefficient of electrons in Ge is four times higher than that of Si. Therefore, Monte Carlo simulations were applied to analyze the temporal resolution of the Ge PD. The estimated theoretical temporal resolution limit is 0.26 ps, while the practical limit is 1.41 ps. To achieve a super temporal resolution better than 11.1 ps, the driver circuit must operate at least 100 GHz. It is thus proposed to develop, at first, a short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) ultra-high-speed image sensor with a thicker and wider Ge PD, and then gradually decrease the size along with the progress of the driver circuits.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.3390/s20236895
Author(s)
Ngo, Nguyen Hoai
Nguyen, Anh Quang
Bufler, Fabian M.
Kamakura, Yoshinari
Mutoh, Hideki
Shimura, Takayoshi
Hosoi, Takuji
Watanabe, Heiji
Matagne, Philippe
Shimonomura, Kazuhiro
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Date Issued

2020-12-02

Published in
Sensors
Volume

20

Issue

23

Article Number

6895

Subjects

ultra-high-speed

•

super temporal resolution

•

temporal resolution limit

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image sensor

•

visible light

•

SWIR

•

germanium

Note

This is an Open Access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

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January 12, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/174635
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