Linear and Single-Photon Avalanche Diode Dual-Mode CMOS Optical Sensor with High Frame Rate Operation

This paper presents a CMOS-integrated, single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) optical sensor array with combined linear and single-photon operation to extend dynamic range. The design includes an in-pixel, dual-mode readout architecture enabling standalone pixel operation and high frame rate. An 8 × 1 prototype pixel array was fabricated in 0.18 µm CMOS process and demonstrates 112 dB of linear dynamic range, a frame rate of 100 Hz - 1 kHz depending on the operational mode, and static power consumption less than 2µW per pixel.