Design and simulation of a silicon photomultiplier array for space experiments

Abstract

A new type of photon sensor known as the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is a matrix of tiny avalanche photodiodes operating in the Geiger mode. The output of a SiPM sensor is the sum of signals from all 'binary' diodes of the sensor, providing the capability for single-photon counting when illuminated with a low intensity of photons. All the features of the SiPM provide a promising photon sensor for space applications that require low power, small size and weight, less sensitivity to a magnetic field, etc. For the image sensor to be applied in a future space telescope, we have designed a 4 × 4 array of SiPM sensors, each consisting of 32 × 32 photodiode micropixels with a size of 30 × 30 μm2. The design scheme and a simulation of the performance are presented.