A Simple Analytic Modeling Method for SPAD Timing Jitter Prediction

Timing jitter as a key performance of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors plays a significant role in determining the fast temporal response behavior of the SPAD device. Nevertheless, few analytic models are developed to directly calculate the characteristic of timing jitter for its modeling difficulty. In this paper, we propose a simple analytic modeling method, which can predict the temporal response of SPADs, without using time-consuming Monte Carlo simulation. Model investigation incorporates avalanche current, avalanche buildup time, and jitter tail under different conditions. Furthermore, the key model parameters provided by Geiger mode technology computer-aided design simulation allow an accurate prediction on timing jitter. Analytical results indicate that for an SPAD device structure with a shallow P+/N-well junction in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology, the Gaussian peak response with about 110-ps full-width at half-maximum and the exponential jitter tail are in good agreement with the measured data, validating the accuracy, and feasibility of this modeling method.