Geiger Mode Avalanche Photodiode Array With On-Chip Data Cache Suitable for Multiple Photon Echoes Detection

Addressing the challenges posed by high-speed data caching and transmission in the readout circuit of a Geiger mode avalanche photodiode (GM-APD) array, this letter implements a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) by adopting on-chip memory on the basis of the classical digital timing readout architecture. On-chip memory technology satisfies the data storage requirements of multiecho with limited pixel area and improves the data frame rate. Based on the 55-nm Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process, a 32 × 32 array ROIC is proposed, the pixel area of the system is less than 50 µm × 50 µm, and the maximum frame rate reaches up to 58 kHz. The system can realize 350 ps average time resolution under 1.28 µs detection range, with a time quantization nonlinear error |DNL|≤0.25LSB, |INL|≤0.4LSB. Under 25% photon detection probability, the average power consumption per frame is measured around 236 mW.