Instrumentation R&D

CMOS Monolithic Devices

HV-CMOS

CMOS Monolithic Devices

Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductors (CMOS) Monolithic detectors are an alternative approach to hybrid pixel devices in which the particle sensing and the signal processing tasks are combined in the same substrate.

HV-CMOS sensors are being investigated for medical applications at IFAE. In particular, for single photon detection, with the aim to overcome the shortcomings of present technologies in terms of detection efficiency, time resolution, design geometry and cost effectiveness.

HV-CMOS Avalanche Photodiodes have been produced at IFAE in the context of a BIST IGNITE project for diffuse correlation spectroscopy.

Furthermore, the use of a HV-CMOS process enables on-chip integration of the quenching mechanism and the readout electronics in the immediate surroundings of the detector, limiting parasitic capacitances and suppressing noise while reducing the overall volume of the device. Though the project is still in an early stage, the early results of the first prototypes are very encouraging.