Current Comparator with SiGe BiCMOS Input Stage for Photon-Counting LiDAR Applications
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
9-13-2021
Publication Title
2021 IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS)
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Publisher Location
Lansing, MI
First page number:
420
Last page number:
423
Abstract
A current-mode photon-counting circuit is proposed for long-range LiDAR applications to interface with a microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier tube (PMT). Based on the idea of a current-mode comparator, the proposed topology combines a BiCMOS regulated cascode current buffer together with a CMOS current comparator. The circuit accepts two input current signals, the photodetector current and a user-adjustable threshold current, and outputs a 1.8-V digital signal depending on the polarity of the difference current. Designed and characterized in a 180-nm SiGe BiCMOS process, the proposed design provides a 50-Ω input impedance up to 2-GHz and can detect 8-uA current pulses with widths of 300-ps FWHM at a count rate of 1-GHz. The solution also offers a low static power consumption of 4.07mW/channel dissipated from a 2.5-V and 1.8-V dual supply.
Keywords
Microchannel plate (MCP); Photomultiplier tube (PMT); Photon-counting system; Readout integrated circuit (ROIC); Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)
Disciplines
Digital Circuits | Electromagnetics and Photonics
Language
English
Repository Citation
Arteaga, G.,
Namboodiri, S. P.,
Roy, A.,
Baker, R. J.
(2021).
Current Comparator with SiGe BiCMOS Input Stage for Photon-Counting LiDAR Applications.
2021 IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS)
420-423.
Lansing, MI: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MWSCAS47672.2021.9531676
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