Cryogenic Performance of Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes for Neutrino Detection
CMOS single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are regarded as highly promising photodetectors for studying neutrino interactions with liquid argon at cryogenic temperatures (CT). This paper shows the performance of CMOS-SPADs using GlobalFoundries 55 nm BCDLite technology at CT. SPADs with deep junctions were tested to determine their performance. We measured I-V characteristics, dark count rate (DCR), photon detection probability (PDP), and breakdown voltage at various temperatures ranging from CT to room temperature (RT). Measurements were conducted using a cryogenic probe station capable of reaching 4 K. The study explored the effects of CT on breakdown voltage and PDP, as well as the impact of tunneling and trap-assisted thermal generation noise on DCR. These findings offer new insights into SPAD performance at CT, supporting advancements in quantum sensing, high-energy physics, and low-temperature photon detection.