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Ultraviolet Photon Detection in CMOS Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes: A Review

  • Zhenjie Wang
  • , Lars Maczey
  • , Yazeed Balasmeh
  • , Hao Qian
  • , Bibhu Datta Sahoo
  • , Ivor Fleck
  • , Bhaskar Choubey
  • University of Siegen

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) imaging is enabling a growing range of applications in industrial inspection, biomedicine, and aerospace. Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), known for their exceptional sensitivity and fast timing resolution, have achieved remarkable success in visible and near-infrared (NIR) applications, e.g., in LiDAR. However, there remains a significant gap in the development and deployment of UV SPAD detectors. This review presents the latest progress, challenges, and application potential of SPAD technologies in deep-UV (DUV) and near-UV (NUV) ranges. It reviews the challenges in UV detection and the currently reported NUV SPADs, including wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBSs) avalanche photodiodes (APDs), silicon-based SPADs with front-side illumination (FSI) and back-side illumination (BSI), and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). By linking UV imaging with single-photon detection, this review aims to support future silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) high-speed, large-format UV SPAD arrays and their integration into nextgeneration imaging systems.

Original languageEnglish
JournalIEEE Sensors Journal
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2026

Keywords

  • array
  • back-side illumination (BSI)
  • deep-UV (DUV)
  • front-side illumination (FSI)
  • near-UV (NUV)
  • photodetector
  • readout
  • silicon
  • silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)
  • solar-blind
  • SPAD
  • UVC LED
  • wide-bandgap semiconductors (WBSs)

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