Non-linear behaviour of large-area avalanche photodiodes

• Main Author: Fernandes, L. M. P.
• Publication Date: 2002
• Other Authors: Lopes, J. A. M., Monteiro, C. M. B., Santos, J. M. F. dos, Morgado, R. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/4501; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(01)01781-8
• topic: Scintillation detectors; X-ray detectors; Avalanche photodiodes

The characterisation of photodiodes used as photosensors requires a determination of the number of electron-hole pairs produced by scintillation light. One method involves comparing signals produced by X-ray absorptions occurring directly in the avalanche photodiode with the light signals. When the light is derived from light-emitting diodes in the 400-600 nm range, significant non-linear behaviour is reported. In the present work, we extend the study of the linear behaviour to large-area avalanche photodiodes, of Advanced Photonix, used as photosensors of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) scintillation light produced by argon (128 nm) and xenon (173 nm). We observed greater non-linearities in the avalanche photodiodes for the VUV scintillation light than reported previously for visible light, but considerably less than the non-linearities observed in other commercially available avalanche photodiodes.