Silicon photomultipliers for enhanced lidar bathymetric applications

Abstract

Background Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are emerging as promising photodetectors for bathymetric Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) because of their high photon detection efficiency (PDE), single-photon sensitivity, and low operating voltage. However, the limited fill factor of conventional surface-pixel SiPMs reduces their detection efficiency. This study evaluates the performance of a newly developed buried-pixel SiPM for bathymetric LIDAR applications. Methods The electrical and optical characteristics of the buried-pixel MAPD-3NM-II were experimentally investigated and compared with those of the commercial surface-pixel MPPC S12572-010P. Breakdown voltage, internal gain, and photon detection efficiency were measured using a pulsed single-photon counting technique with a 530 nm pulsed laser under identical overvoltage and equal-gain conditions. Results The MAPD-3NM-II exhibited a breakdown voltage of 52.3 V, compared with 68 V for the MPPC S12572-010P. At an overvoltage of 4 V, the MAPD-3NM-II achieved an internal gain of 1.2 × 10 5 , whereas the MPPC reached 8.5 × 10 4 . Under identical operating conditions, the MAPD-3NM-II demonstrated a photon detection efficiency of 32%, compared with 8% for the commercial detector. At equal internal gain, the MAPD-3NM-II maintained a PDE of 32%, while the MPPC reached 9.5%. The improved performance is attributed to the buried-pixel architecture with a 100% fill factor, which increases the effective photosensitive area and enhances photon collection. Conclusions The buried-pixel MAPD-3NM-II demonstrated superior photon detection efficiency and internal gain compared with the commercial surface-pixel MPPC S12572-010P. These results indicate that buried-pixel SiPM technology is a promising candidate for bathymetric LiDAR systems and other applications requiring highly sensitive photon detection.