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Photodiodes and Avalanche Photodiodes

From Advanced Photonix, Inc.®
 

 
Increased functionality and integration are driving strong growth in the OEM applications for these critical photonic components. Silicon photodiodes are used to convert light into an electrical signal (voltage or current). As a result of solid state reliability, low cost and volume manufacturing, these devices are used in virtually every type of OEM photonic application. Some disparate examples include semiconductor test and measurement, spectroscopy, biomedical assay and diagnostics, and of course telecom. Photodiodes fall into two broad classes: PIN photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes. The PIN photodiode is a very mature product, offering the advantages of inexpensive, repeatable, volume fabrication in addition to flexible packaging options. The main advantage of the avalanche photodiode is its internal gain, which can be 300X or higher. This enables the avalanche photodiode to be used in low light level applications, traditionally dominated by the photomultiplier tube (PMT). Despite their long history of use, both types of photodiode are currently the subject of vigorous, ongoing product innovation.
Products & Services
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Photosensor modules are compact light detectors with built-in power supplies. They use photomultiplier tubes, avalanche photodiodes, PN photodiodes, or PIN photodiodes. Search by Specification | Learn more about Photosensor Modules
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Photodiodes are used for the detection of optical power (UV, Visible, and IR) and for the conversion of optical power to electrical power. Search by Specification | Learn more about Photodiodes
Product Announcements
CVI Melles Griot - Photodiodes, Integrating Spheres and Amplifiers
Melles Griot offers a wide selection of mounted silicon and PIN photodiodes, along with amplifiers, integrating spheres, and accessories, which can be assembled to meet specific laboratory... (read more)
Hamamatsu Corporation USA - InGaAs avalanche photodiode
Hamamatsu Corporation has introduced the G8931-20, an InGaAs avalanche photodiode with a large, 0.2 mm diameter active area and high-speed response of 0.9 GHz. The device is suitable for applications... (read more)
Advanced Photonix, Inc.® - GaAlAs IR Photodiodes
These specialized photodiodes have a narrow spectral response centered at 880 nm. Since the photodiode itself has a narrow spectral response, the device can be used without expensive band pass... (read more)
Hamamatsu Corporation USA - Hamamatsu expands its InGaAs lineup for LD
Bridgewater, New Jersey – February 13, 2008 – Hamamatsu Corporation has introduced several InGaAs devices for laser diode (LD) and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM... (read more)
Hamamatsu Corporation USA - NIR PMT Module- Thermoelectrical Cooling System
Bridgewater, New Jersey – October 1, 2007 – Hamamatsu Corporation has introduced a new near-infrared photomultiplier tube (NIR PMT) module with easy handling, low noise, and a... (read more)
Hamamatsu Corporation USA - ROSA / TOSA
Hamamatsu has a long history of manufacturing InGaAs and GaAs PIN photodiodes with built-in ampiflier to simplify circuit integration in the telecommunication and data communication markets. (read more)
Hamamatsu Corporation USA - Silicon Photodiodes
Photodiodes are semiconductors that generate a current or voltage when illuminated by light. They have no internal gain, but can operate at much higher light levels than other detectors. Hamamatsu Si... (read more)
Melexis, Inc. - Integrated Light Sensor Exceeds 15 Year Lifetime
The MLX75305 Light-to-Voltage SensorEyeCTM is an integrated sensor IC specifically designed for high volume automotive, industrial and consumer applications. The light sensor's output gives a voltage... (read more)
Advanced Photonix, Inc.® - Silicon Avalanche Photodiodes and Modules
The silicon avalanche photodiode (Si APD) is a photon detection device that offers high internal gain. It is ideal for use in high speed, low light level applications. (read more)
 
Topics of Interest
The mature performance of third generation devices makes these solid-state photodetectors attractive solutions in many low light applications. Many applications require a photodetector with the... (Read More)
  Schottky Photodiode The PIN and avalanche photodiodes discussed in the previous two sections are both p-n-junction-based devices. In contrast, the Schottky photodiode utilizes a... (Read More)
Light detectors perform the opposite function of light emitters. Emitters, as we already know, are electro-optic devices. They convert electrical pulses into light pulses. Detectors are opto-electric... (Read More)
The purpose of any photodetector is to convert electro-magnetic radiation into an electronic signal - ideally one that is proportional to incident light intensity. Because they are compact, versatile... (Read More)
Photodiodes bridge the gap between light and electronics. Many times precision applications such as CT scanners, blood analyzers, smoke detectors, position sensors, IR pyrometers and chromatographs... (Read More)
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