Novel type of avalanche photodetector with Geiger mode operation

A novel type of avalanche photodetector with Geiger mode operation, known as Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) is presented. Development of photodetectors for the detection of low intensity photon flux is one of the critical issues for experimental physics, medical tomography and many others. The structure of the photodetector is based on metal–resistor semiconductor (MRS) microcells with a density of 1000/mm2, operating in the Geiger mode with an internal amplification gain of 105–106, with a photon detection efficiency of 32% for light in the green band of the visible spectrum, and a time resolution of about 30 ps. The structure of the photodetector gives the possibility of detecting a low flux of up to 1000 photoelectrons with proportional output. A Novel type of silicon photomultiplier is currently being tested for the TESLA scintillation tile hadron calorimeter.