What are avalanche photodiodes used for?

Typical applications of avalanche photodiodes include receivers in optical fiber communications, range finding, imaging, high-speed laser scanners, laser microscopy, and optical-time domain reflectometers (OTDR).

What is meant by avalanche photodiode?

An avalanche photodiode is a silicon-based semiconductor containing a pn junction consisting of a positively doped p region and a negatively doped n region sandwiching an area of neutral charge termed the depletion region.

What is the main principle of avalanche photodiode?

Avalanche photodiode working principle. Avalanche breakdown takes place when the diode is subjected to high reverse voltage. The reverse bias voltage increases the electric field across the depletion layer. Incident light enters the p+ region and further gets absorbed in the highly resistive p region.

What is the difference between photodiode and avalanche photodiode?

The main difference of the avalanche photodiode to other forms of photodiode is that it operates under a high reverse bias condition. This enables avalanche multiplication of the holes and electrons created by the photon / light impact.

What is meant by the dark current?

Definition of dark current : the current through a photoelectric or photoconductive cell when an electromotive force is applied in the absence of light.

What is avalanche effect in diodes?

Avalanche effect is “the sudden rapid increase in the current in a non conducting material (insulator) or semiconducting material (semiconductor) when a sufficient amount of electrical force is applied to the material”. The device used for this avalanche effect (zener effect) is called zener diode.)

What is avalanche effect in diode?

What is the difference between PIN diode and avalanche photodiode?

Let us understand difference between Avalanche Photodiode(APD) and P-I-N diode: APD is basically a P-I-N diode with very high reverse bias voltage. APD will have about 50volt as reverse bias compare to P-I-N diode reverse biased to 3 Volt or less (in photoconductive mode). i-region in P-I-N diode is lightly n-doped.