Digital Silicon

Photomultiplier
Breakthrough in fully digital photon counting
Philips highly innovative digital silicon
photomultiplier technology has the
potential to create a new class of light
detectors for ultra-low light levels down
to single photons. By integrating both
the sensor and the data processing into
a single silicon chip, it will enable faster
and more accurate photon counting in a
wide range of applications where ultralow light levels need to be measured.

The key to this breakthrough lies in Philips ability

to

combine

high

performance

single-photon

avalanche photodiodes and low-voltage CMOS logic

on the same silicon substrate using a conventional
CMOS process technology. This integration enables
true digital photon counting without the need for
noise-sensitive off-chip A/D conversion.

Potential application areas

Medical imaging
High-energy physics
Analytical instrumentation
Safety and security applications

Digital Silicon Photomultiplier

Application benefits
Sensitivity
- Low dark count level
Speed
- Excellent timing resolution
Robustness
- Against electromagnetic interference
- Low sensitivity to temperature variations
Dark count reduction due to the
possibility of disabling individual cells

For system manufacturers

Partnership

Integrated electronics simplifies system

integration (fully digital interface)
Lower system cost
Low power consumption
Scalability of the detector area
Customized detector and modular design

As one of the underlying principles behind

its policy of open innovation, Philips
welcomes development partners with
application expertise to fully exploit the
market potential of its new digital silicon
photomultiplier technology.

How it works

Working principle of a digital silicon photomultiplier

Figure 1a: One array comprises

16 dies (8x8 pixels)

Figure 1b: One die comprises

4 pixels

Figure 1c: One pixel

Figure 1d: Photo of a die

Figure 2: First photon hits the sensor, integrated photon counter

increases to 001 and integrated timer measures arrival time of first
photon per die.

Figure 3: Second photon hits the sensor, the integrated photon

counter increases to 002.

Figure 4: The chip has measured the 3 photons that have hit the
sensor during the desired length of the detection process.

Figure 5: At the end of the detection process, the values of the

integrated photon counter and timer can be read out via a digital
interface.

Digital Silicon Photomultiplier

Preliminary Short Data Sheet

DPC6400-22-44 / DPC3200-22-44
Key Features

DPC Array

Dark count rate map: Option to physically disable

arbitrary, user-selectable cells on the sensor.

8 x 8 pixel array
Single photon counting capability
Integrated Time-to-Digital converters
First photon trigger (configurable;
up to 4th photon trigger)
Excellent timing resolution
Fully digital interface
Four side tileable
Configurable validation network for
effective dark-count suppression
Low disturbance by external
magnetic fields

Specifications
Physical Characteristics

DPC6400-22-44
mm2

DPC3200-22-44
32.6 x 32.6 mm2

Outer Dimensions

32.6 x 32.6

Pixel Pitch (H x V)

4.0 mm x 4.0 mm

4.0 mm x 4.0 mm

Pixel Active Area

3.9 x 3.2 mm2

3.9 x 3.2 mm2

Number of Cells Per Pixel

Cell Size

6396
59.4 x 32 m2

3200
59.4 x 64 m2

Spectral Response Range

380 nm 700 nm

380 nm 700 nm

Peak Sensitivity Wavelength (p)

420 nm

420 nm

PhotoN detection Efficiency (PDE) @ p (pixel level)

30 %

40 %

Pixel Fill Factor (already included in pde)

54 %

74 %

TIle fill factor

75%

75%

Dark Count Rate (95% cells active)

< 5 MHz / pixel at room

temperature

< 7 MHz / pixel at room

temperature

Operational Bias Voltage

27 +/- 0.5 V

27 +/- 0.5 V

Temperature Dependence of PDE

-0.33%/C in the range of 15C -0.33%/C in the range of 15C

- 25C
- 25C

Intrinsic Timing Resolution*

44 ps

44 ps

Parameter

DPC6400-22-44

DPC3200-22-44

Storage Temperature

0C to +70C

0C to +70C

Operating Temperature

0C to +20C

0C to +20C

Environmental Parameters

*Measured with pico second laser pulse with approx. 1000 photons.
Please note: All data is preliminary and subject to change without prior notice!

Digital Silicon Photomultiplier

Preliminary Short Data Sheet

Dimensions

Backside of sensor

Frontside of sensor

Dies on tile (front)

Pixel (front)

Description of Operation
The DPC6400-22-44 and the DPC3200-22-44 (tile) consist of 8 x 8 pixels arranged on 4 x 4 chips (dies).
Each chip contains 2 x 2 pixels. Each pixel has access to two logic blocks to record the energy
and the timestamp of a hit. The determination of the hit energy is done by recording the number
of detected photons, i.e. broken-down cells, by means of an accumulator. The timestamp is
generated by a combination of a fine counter (time-to-digital converter, TDC) and a coarse counter
(synchronous to the system clock). The SPI flash memory contains all die related information
needed for calibration/correction of the photon count and timestamp. The tile FPGA
controls/programs all individual dies, collects all the events for each die and performs postprocessing to generate a full timestamp and photon count value for each event.
Single pixel block diagram

Performance Characteristics

Typical photon detection efficiency of DPC3200-22-44

Please note: All data is preliminary and subject to change without prior notice!

Contact
For further information, please contact:
Philips Digital Photon Counting
Pauwelsstrae 17
52074 Aachen, Germany
Phone: +49 241 969 79130
Fax
+49 241 969 79191
E-mail: digitalphotoncounting@philips.com
www.philips.com/digitalphotoncounting

May 2012

Typical photon detection efficiency of DPC6400-22-44