US 7,612,340 B2
	Method of operating an avalanche photodiode for reducing gain normalized dark current
Jeffrey Don Beck, Plano, Tex. (US); Pradip Mitra, Colleyville, Tex. (US); Chang-Feng Wan, Dallas, Tex. (US); and Michael A. Kinch, Dallas, Tex. (US)
Assigned to DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems, Inc., Palm Bay, Fla. (US)
Filed on Aug. 03, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/196,100.
Prior Publication US 2007/0029485 A1, Feb. 08, 2007
Int. Cl. H01L 31/107 (2006.01); G01J 5/20 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 250—338.4

16 Claims

1. A method of operating an avalanche photodiode in an avalanche gain mode for reducing dark current noise, wherein the photodiode has a gain normalized dark current, wherein the photodiode has sources of dark current that are dominant when a reverse bias below an avalanche gain threshold voltage is applied to the photodiode, wherein the gain normalized dark current of the photodiode attributable to the dominant sources of the dark current is not multiplied by gain of the photodiode, the method comprising: applying a selected reverse bias to the photodiode to cause the photodiode to operate in the avalanche gain mode and to have a gain that reduces the gain normalized dark current of the photodiode, wherein the selected reverse bias is beyond a range in which gain and dark current both increase or decrease simultaneously.