PlatonSPAD: A novel SPAD sensor for large-scale high-resolution particle detectors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new high-resolution CMOS SPAD sensor with optimized layout and integrated time-to-digital converters, advancing large-scale, precise 3D particle detection for elementary particles like neutrinos.

Contribution

It presents a novel SPAD sensor design with high fill-factor, event-driven photon mapping, and integrated timing, enabling scalable and precise particle detection.

Findings

High-fill-factor designs improve photon detection efficiency.

Successful demonstration of event-driven photon mapping and time stamping.

Fabrication of a 4x4 SPAD macropixel module in 110 nm CIS technology.

Abstract

High-resolution 3D tracking with sub-nanosecond timing is required for the detection of elementary particles, such as neutrinos. Conventional detectors, which utilize analog silicon photomultipliers, face challenges in balancing spatial resolution and scalability. To address this issue, a CMOS single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)-based high-resolution particle detector is being developed. This work presents a study on SPAD layout optimization and a 4x4 SPAD macropixel module, fabricated in 110 nm CIS technology. Measurement results confirm that high-fill-factor designs improve photon detection efficiency without significant noise degradation. Furthermore, event-driven photon mapping and time stamping, enabled by time-to-digital converters and dedicated pixel circuits integrated into the 4x4 SPAD macropixel, were successfully demonstrated. This work is an essential step towards a sensor that detects probabilistic particle interactions and it lays the groundwork for the development of future large-scale SPAD-based particle detectors.