Optoelectronics

An OSI Systems Company

Optoelectronic
Components Catalog
World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions
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UDT Sensors, Inc. has expanded business operations to merge with AME, Centrovision, Ferson Technologies and OSI Fibercomm; the
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The new OSI Optoelectronics, Inc., will continue to put forth extensive engineering solutions aligned with efficient manufacturing.
In addition, with our growing base of customer support we will expand into new product arenas and application domains. OSI
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In today’s ever-competitive industry that views success as synonymous with efficient process, OSI Optoelectronics, Inc. U.S. headquarters
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COMPREHENSIVE solutions:
Standard and Custom Photodiodes (UV, Visible and NIR)
X-Ray Products (CT Scanner, Security System and Industrial Inspection Apparatus)
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QUALITY SYSTEMS CERTIFICATIONS, REGISTRATIONS AND STANDARDS

HAWTHORNE FACILITY MALAYSIAN FACILITY
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Test capabilities to meet GR-468-CORE conformance and qualification testing
 Version 4
Table of Contents Rev.10122015

Photodiode Characteristics and Applications 2

PSD Characteristics 8
Application Notes and Reading Sources 11
Standard Si Photodiode Products 12
Photoconductive Series 13
Photovoltaic Series 15
UV Enhanced Series 17
Inversion Layer Series 18
Planar Diffused Series 19
High Speed Silicon Series 20
Soft X-Ray, Deep UV Enhanced Series 22
High Breakdown Voltage, Fully Depleted Series 24
Multi-Channel X-Ray Detector Series 26
YAG Series 28
PhotopsTM, Photodiode-Amplifier Hybrids 29
BPW-34, Plastic Molded - Industry Standard 32
Plastic Encapsulated Series, Lead Frame Molded Photodiodes 33
Detector-Filter Combination Series 35
Series E, Eye Response Detectors 37
Dual Sandwich Detector Series 38
Multi-Element Array Series 40
Solderable Chip Series 42
Back Illuminated Si Photodiodes 44
Avalanche Photodiodes, Ultra High Gain Si Photodetectors 46
Position Sensing Detectors (PSD)
Segmented Photodiodes, SPOT Series 48
Duo-Lateral, Super Linear PSD Series 50
Tetra-Lateral PSD Series 52
Sum and Difference Amplifier Modules 54
4x4 Si Array Detectors 55
Dual Emitter / Matching Photodetector Series 56
Photodiode Care and Handling 58
Mechanical Drawings
Mechanical Specifications 61
Die Topography 74
Custom Photodiode Form 77
Application Notes 78
Standard InGaAs Photodiode Products
155Mbps/622Mbps/1.25Gbps/2.50Gbps, High Speed Series 86
FCI-InGaAs-XXX-X, Large Active Area 88
FCI-InGaAs-QXXX, Large Active Area Segmented Quadrants 90
FCI-InGaAs-XXM, High Speed Arrays 92
1.25Gbps/2.50Gbps, Photodetector-Transimpedance Amplifier Hybrids 94
622Mbps, Photodetector-Transimpedance Amplifier Hybrids 96
FCI-InGaAs-300B1XX, Back Illuminated Photodiode/Arrays 98
FCI-InGaAs-WCER-LR, Broadband AR Coated Detectors 100
10Gbps, FCI-InGaAs-36C 101
FCI-InGaAs-XX-XX-XX, High Speed w/Pigtail Packages Series 102
FCI-InGaAs-XXX-WCER, Wraparound Ceramic Packages 103
FCI-InGaAs-XXX-ACER, Wedge Ceramic Packages 104
FCI-InGaAs-XXX-LCER, Ceramic Packages w/Leads 105
FCI-InGaAs-XXX-CCER, Cavity Ceramic Packages 106
High Speed Si Photodiode Products
FCI-XXXA, Large Active Area 970 nm Detectors 108
100Mbps/155Mbps/622Mbps, Large Active Area, High Speed Detectors 110
1.25Gbps, 850nm, Large Active Area, High Speed Detectors 112
FCI-H125G-010, 1.25Gbps, Photodetector-Transimpedance Amplifer Hybrid 114
BPX65-100, Fiberoptic Receiver 116
GaAs Photodiode Products
FCI-GaAs-XXM, High Speed GaAs Arrays 117
1.25Gbps/2.50Gbps, GaAs Photodetector-Transimpedance Amplifier Hybrid 118
Fiber Optic Receptacles
FC / SC / ST Receptacle Packages 120
 Photodiode Characteristics and Applications
Silicon photodiodes are semiconductor devices responsive to high- PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
energy particles and photons. Photodiodes operate by absorption
of photons or charged particles and generate a flow of current in Silicon is a semiconductor with a band gap energy of 1.12 eV at
an external circuit, proportional to the incident power. room temperature. This is the gap between the valence band and the
conduction band. At absolute zero temperature the valence band is
Photodiodes can be used to detect the presence or absence of completely filled and the conduction band is vacant. As the temperature
minute quantities of light and can be calibrated for extremely increases, the electrons become excited and escalate from the valence
accurate measurements from intensities below 1 pW/cm 2 to band to the conduction band by thermal energy. The electrons can
intensities above 100 mW/cm2. also be escalated to the conduction band by particles or photons
with energies greater than 1.12eV, which corresponds to wavelengths
Silicon photodiodes are utilized in such diverse applications as : shorter than 1100 nm. The resulting electrons in the conduction band
• Spectroscopy are free to conduct current.

• Photography Due to concentration gradient, the diffusion of electrons from the

• Analytical instrumentation N-type region to the P-type region and the diffusion of holes from the
P-type region to the N-type region, develops a built-in voltage across
• Optical position sensors the junction. The inter-diffusion of electrons and holes between the
• Beam alignment N and P regions across the junction results in a region with no free
carriers. This is the depletion region. The built-in voltage across the
• Surface characterization
depletion region results in an electric field with maximum at the junction
• Laser range finders and no field outside of the depletion region. Any applied reverse bias
• Optical communications adds to the built in voltage and results in a wider depletion region. The
electron-hole pairs generated by light are swept away by drift in the
• Medical imaging instruments depletion region and are collected by diffusion from the undepleted
region. The current generated is proportional to the incident light or
radiation power. The light is absorbed exponentially with distance and
is proportional to the absorption coefficient. The absorption coefficient
is very high for shorter wavelengths in the UV region and is small for
longer wavelengths (Figure 2). Hence, short wavelength photons such
PLANAR DIFFUSED SILICON PHOTODIODE as UV, are absorbed in a thin top surface layer while silicon becomes
CONSTRUCTION transparent to light wavelengths longer than 1200 nm. Moreover,
photons with energies smaller than the band gap are not absorbed at all.
Planar diffused silicon photodiodes are simply P-N junction diodes. (continued)
A P-N junction can be formed by diffusing either a P-type impurity
(anode), such as Boron, into a N-type bulk silicon wafer, or a N-type
impurity, such as Phosphorous, into a P-type bulk silicon wafer. The
diffused area defines the photodiode active area. To form an ohmic
contact another impurity diffusion into the backside of the wafer is Penetration Depth
necessary. The impurity is an N-type for P-type active area and P-type
for an N-type active area. The contact pads are deposited on the front
active area on defined areas, and on the backside, completely covering
the device. The active area is then passivated with an anti-reflection
coating to reduce the reflection of the light for a specific predefined
wavelength. The non-active area on the top is covered with a thick
layer of silicon oxide. By controlling the thickness of bulk substrate, the
speed and responsivity of the photodiode can be controlled. Note that
the photodiodes, when biased, must be operated in the reverse bias
mode, i.e. a negative voltage applied to anode and positive voltage to
cathode.

Figure 2. Penetration depth (1/e) of light into silicon substrate for various
wavelengths.

Figure 1. Planar diffused silicon photodiode

2
 Photodiode Characteristics

ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS Typical Capacitance vs. Reverse Bias

A silicon photodiode can be represented by a current source in parallel
with an ideal diode (Figure. 3). The current source represents the current
generated by the incident radiation, and the diode represents the p-n
junction. In addition, a junction capacitance (Cj) and a shunt resistance
(RSH) are in parallel with the other components. Series resistance (RS) is
connected in series with all components in this model.

I0 Rs

Iph Id

Cj Rsh RL
V0

Figure 4. Capacitance of Photoconductive Devices versus Reverse Bias

Figure 3. Equivalent Circuit for the silicon photodiode Voltage

Shunt Resistance, RSH where  0= 8.854x10-14 F/cm, is the permittivity of free space, Si=11.9
Shunt resistance is the slope of the current-voltage curve of the is the silicon dielectric constant, µ = 1400 cm2/Vs is the mobility of
photodiode at the origin, i.e. V=0. Although an ideal photodiode should the electrons at 300 K,  is the resistivity of the silicon, Vbi is the built-
have an infinite shunt resistance, actual values range from 10’s to in voltage of silicon and VA is the applied bias. Figure 4 shows the
1000’s of Mega ohms. Experimentally it is obtained by applying ±10 mV, dependence of the capacitance on the applied reverse bias voltage.
measuring the current and calculating the resistance. Shunt resistance Junction capacitance is used to determine the speed of the response
is used to determine the noise current in the photodiode with no bias of the photodiode.
(photovoltaic mode). For best photodiode performance the highest
shunt resistance is desired.
Rise / Fall Time and Frequency Response, tr / tf / f3dB
The rise time and fall time of a photodiode is defined as the time for
Series Resistance, RS the signal to rise or fall from 10% to 90% or 90% to 10% of the final
Series resistance of a photodiode arises from the resistance of the value respectively. This parameter can be also expressed as frequency
contacts and the resistance of the undepleted silicon (Figure 1). It is response, which is the frequency at which the photodiode output
given by: decreases by 3dB. It is roughly approximated by:

(1) (3)

Where WS is the thickness of the substrate, Wd is the width of the There are three factors defining the response time of a photodiode:
depleted region, A is the diffused area of the junction,  is the resistivity
of the substrate and RC is the contact resistance. Series resistance is 1. tDRIFT, the charge collection time of the carriers in the
used to determine the linearity of the photodiode in photovoltaic mode depleted region of the photodiode.
(no bias, V=0). Although an ideal photodiode should have no series
resistance, typical values ranging from 10 to 1000 Ω’s are measured. 2. tDIFFUSED, the charge collection time of the carriers in the
undepleted region of the photodiode.

3. tRC, the RC time constant of the diode-circuit combination.

Junction Capacitance, CJ
The boundaries of the depletion region act as the plates of a tRC is determined by tRC=2.2 RC, where R, is the sum of the diode
parallel plate capacitor (Figure 1). The junction capacitance is directly series resistance and the load resistance (RS + RL), and C, is the sum
proportional to the diffused area and inversely proportional to the width of the photodiode junction and the stray capacitances (Cj+CS). Since
of the depletion region. In addition, higher resistivity substrates have the junction capacitance (Cj) is dependent on the diffused area of the
lower junction capacitance. Furthermore, the capacitance is dependent photodiode and the applied reverse bias (Equation 2), faster rise times
on the reverse bias as follows: are obtained with smaller diffused area photodiodes, and larger applied
reverse biases. In addition, stray capacitance can be minimized by
using short leads, and careful lay-out of the electronic components.
(2) The total rise time is determined by:

(4)

Generally, in photovoltaic mode of operation (no bias), rise time is

dominated by the diffusion time for diffused areas less than 5 mm2
and by RC time constant for larger diffused areas for all wavelengths.
When operated in photoconductive mode (applied reverse bias), if the
photodiode is fully depleted, such as high speed series, the dominant
factor is the drift time. In non-fully depleted photodiodes, however, all
three factors contribute to the response time.

World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions 3

 Photodiode Characteristics

OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Responsivity, R  Quantum Efficiency, Q.E.

The responsivity of a silicon photodiode is a measure of the sensitivity Quantum efficiency is defined as the fraction of the incident photons
to light, and it is defined as the ratio of the photocurrent IP to the that contribute to photocurrent. It is related to responsivity by:
incident light power P at a given wavelength:

(5) (6)

In other words, it is a measure of the effectiveness of the conversion

of the light power into electrical current. It varies with the wavelength
of the incident light (Figure 5) as well as applied reverse bias and
temperature.

Typical Spectral Response

where h=6.63 x 10-34 J-s, is the Planck constant, c=3 x 108 m/s, is
the speed of light, q=1.6 x 10-19 C, is the electron charge, R is the
responsivity in A/W and  is the wavelength in nm.

Non-Uniformity
Non-Uniformity of response is defined as variations of responsivity
observed over the surface of the photodiode active area with a small
spot of light. Non-uniformity is inversely proportional to spot size, i.e.
larger non-uniformity for smaller spot size.

Non-Linearity
A silicon photodiode is considered linear if the generated photocurrent
increases linearly with the incident light power. Photocurrent linearity
is determined by measuring the small change in photocurrent as a
result of a small change in the incident light power as a function of
total photocurrent or incident light power. Non-Linearity is the variation
Figure 5. Typical Spectral Responsivity of Several Different of the ratio of the change in photocurrent to the same change in light
Types of Planar Diffused Photodiodes power, i.e. ∆I/∆P. In another words, linearity exhibits the consistency
of responsivity over a range of light power. Non-linearity of less than
Responsivity increases slightly with applied reverse bias due to ±1% are specified over 6-9 decades for planar diffused photodiodes.
improved charge collection efficiency in the photodiode. Also there The lower limit of the photocurrent linearity is determined by the noise
are responsivity variations due to change in temperature as shown in current and the upper limit by the series resistance and the load
figure 6. This is due to decrease or increase of the band gap, because resistance. As the photocurrent increases, first the non-linearity sets
of increase or decrease in the temperature respectively. Spectral in, gradually increasing with increasing photocurrent, and finally at
responsivity may vary from lot to lot and it is dependent on wavelength. saturation level, the photocurrent remains constant with increasing
However, the relative variations in responsivity can be reduced to less incident light power. In general, the change in photocurrent generated
than 1% on a selected basis. for the same change in incident light power, is smaller at higher current
levels, when the photodetector exhibits non-linearity. The linearity range
can slightly be extended by applying a reverse bias to the photodiode.
Temperature Dependence of Responsivity (continued)

Figure 6. Typical Temperature Coefficient of Responsivity For Silicon

Photodiode

4
 Photodiode Characteristics

I-V CHARACTERISTICS NOISE

The current-voltage characteristic of a photodiode with no incident light In a photodiode, two sources of noise can be identified; Shot noise and
is similar to a rectifying diode. When the photodiode is forward biased, Johnson noise:
there is an exponential increase in the current. When a reverse bias is
applied, a small reverse saturation current appears. It is related to dark Shot Noise
current as: Shot noise is related to the statistical fluctuation in both the photocurrent
and the dark current. The magnitude of the shot noise is expressed as
the root mean square (rms) noise current:
(7)

(9)

where ID is the photodiode dark current, ISAT is the reverse saturation

current, q is the electron charge, VA is the applied bias voltage, Where q=1.6x10 -19C, is the electron charge, IP is the photogenerated
kB=1.38 x 10-23 J / K, is the Boltzmann Constant and T is the absolute current, ID is the photodetector dark current and ∆f is the noise
temperature (273 K= 0 ºC). measurement bandwidth. Shot noise is the dominating source when
operating in photoconductive (biased) mode.

Photodetector I-V Curves

Thermal or Johnson Noise
The shunt resistance in a photodetector has a Johnson noise associated
with it. This is due to the thermal generation of carriers. The magnitude
of this generated noise current is:

( 10 )

Where kB=1.38 x 10-23 J/K, is the Boltzmann Constant, T, is the

absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin (273 K= 0 ºC), ∆f is the
noise measurement bandwidth and RSH , is the shunt resistance of
the photodiode. This type of noise is the dominant current noise in
photovoltaic (unbiased) operation mode.

Note: All resistors have a Johnson noise associated with them, including
the load resistor. This additional noise current is large and adds to the
Figure 7. Characteristic I-V Curves of an OSI Optoelectronics photodiode Johnson noise current caused by the photodetector shunt resistance.
for Photoconductive and Photovoltaic modes of operation. P0-P2 represent
different light levels. Total Noise
The total noise current generated in a photodetector is determined by:

This relationship is shown in figure 7. From equation 7, three various

states can be defined: ( 11 )

a) V = 0, In this state, the dark current IP=0.

b) V = +V, In this state the current increases exponentially. This state
is also known as forward bias mode.
c) V = -V, When a very large reverse bias is applied to the photodiode,
the dark current becomes the reverse saturation current, ISat. Noise Equivalent Power (NEP)
Noise Equivalent Power is the amount of incident light power on a
Illuminating the photodiode with optical radiation, shifts the I-V curve by photodetector, which generates a photocurrent equal to the noise
the amount of photocurrent (IP). Thus: current. NEP is defined as:

(8) ( 12 )

where IP is defined as the photocurrent in equation 5.

Where R is the responsivity in A/W and Itn is the total noise of the
As the applied reverse bias increases, there is a sharp increase in the photodetector. NEP values can vary from 10 -11 W/√Hz for large
photodiode current. The applied reverse bias at this point is referred to active area photodiodes down to 10-15 W /√Hz for small active area
as breakdown voltage. This is the maximum applied reverse bias, below photodiodes.
which, the photodiode should be operated (also known as maximum (continued)
reverse voltage). Breakdown voltage, varies from one photodiode to
another and is usually measured, for small active areas, at a dark
current of 10 µA.

World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions 5

 Photodiode Characteristics

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
All photodiode characteristics are affected by changes in temperature.
They include shunt resistance, dark current, breakdown voltage,
responsivity and to a lesser extent other parameters such as junction
capacitance.

Shunt Resistance and Dark Current:

There are two major currents in a photodiode contributing to dark
current and shunt resistance. Diffusion current is the dominating factor
in a photovoltaic (unbiased) mode of operation, which determines
the shunt resistance. It varies as the square of the temperature. In
photoconductive mode (reverse biased), however, the drift current
becomes the dominant current (dark current) and varies directly with
temperature. Thus, change in temperature affects the photodetector
more in photovoltaic mode than in photoconductive mode of operation.
Figure 8. Photoconductive mode of operation circuit example:
In photoconductive mode the dark current may approximately double Low Light Level / Wide Bandwidth
for every 10 ºC increase change in temperature. And in photovoltaic
mode, shunt resistance may approximately double for every 6 ºC
decrease in temperature. The exact change is dependent on additional ( 13 )
parameters such as the applied reverse bias, resistivity of the substrate
as well as the thickness of the substrate.

Breakdown Voltage: Where GBP is the Gain Bandwidth Product of amplifier (A1) and CA is the
For small active area devices, by definition breakdown voltage is amplifier input capacitance.
defined as the voltage at which the dark current becomes 10µA. Since
dark current increases with temperature, therefore, breakdown voltage
decreases similarly with increase in temperature. ( 14 )

Responsivity:
Effects of temperature on responsivity is discussed in the “Responsivity” In low speed applications, a large gain, e.g. >10MΩ can be achieved
section of these notes. by introducing a large value (RF) without the need for the second stage.

Typical components used in this configuration are:

BIASING
OPA-637, OPA-846, OPA-847, or similar
A photodiode signal can be measured as a voltage or a current.
Current measurement demonstrates far better linearity, offset, and
bandwidth performance. The generated photocurrent is proportional
to the incident light power and it must be converted to voltage using a
transimpedance configuration. The photodiode can be operated with or
without an applied reverse bias depending on the application specific
requirements. They are referred to as “Photoconductive” (biased) and
“Photovoltaic” (unbiased) modes.

Photoconductive Mode (PC) In high speed, high light level measurements, however, a different
Application of a reverse bias (i.e. cathode positive, anode negative) approach is preferred. The most common example is pulse width
can greatly improve the speed of response and linearity of the devices. measurements of short pulse gas lasers, solid state laser diodes, or
This is due to increase in the depletion region width and consequently any other similar short pulse light source. The photodiode output can
decrease in junction capacitance. Applying a reverse bias, however, be either directly connected to an oscilloscope (Figure 9) or fed to a
will increase the dark and noise currents. An example of low light level fast response amplifier. When using an oscilloscope, the bandwidth
/ high-speed response operated in photoconductive mode is shown in of the scope can be adjusted to the pulse width of the light source for
figure 8. maximum signal to noise ratio. In this application the bias voltage is
large. Two opposing protection diodes should be connected to the input
In this configuration the detector is biased to reduce junction capacitance of the oscilloscope across the input and ground.
thus reducing noise and rise time (t r). A two stage amplification is used
in this example since a high gain with a wide bandwidth is required. The
two stages include a transimpedance pre-amp for current- to-voltage
conversion and a non-inverting amplifier for voltage amplification. Gain
and bandwidth (f3dB Max) are directly determined by RF, per equations (13)
and (14) . The gain of the second stage is approximated by 1+ R1 / R2.
A feedback capacitor (CF) will limit the frequency response and avoids
gain peaking.

Figure 9. Photoconductive mode of operation circuit example:

High Light Level / High Speed Response
(continued)

6
 Photodiode Characteristics

To avoid ringing in the output signal, the cable between the detector For stability, select CF such that
and the oscilloscope should be short (i.e. < 20cm) and terminated
with a 50 ohm load resistor (R L). The photodiode should be enclosed
in a metallic box, if possible, with short leads between the detector
and the capacitor, and between the detector and the coaxial cable. ( 17 )
The metallic box should be tied through a capacitor (C1), with lead
length (L) less than 2 cm, where R L C1 > 10  ( is the pulse width in
seconds). RS is chosen such that RS < VBIAS / 10 IPDC, where IPDC is the
DC photocurrent. Bandwidth is defined as 0.35 / . A minimum of 10V Operating bandwidth, after gain peaking compensation is:
reverse bias is necessary for this application. Note that a bias larger
than the photodiode maximum reverse voltage should not be applied.
( 18 )
Photovoltaic Mode (PV)
The photovoltaic mode of operation (unbiased) is preferred when a
photodiode is used in low frequency applications (up to 350 kHz) as
Some recommended components for this configuration are:
well as ultra low light level applications. In addition to offering a simple
operational configuration, the photocurrents in this mode have less
variations in responsivity with temperature. An example of an ultra low OPA111, OPA124, OPA627 or similar
light level / low speed is shown in figure 10.

These examples or any other configurations for single photodiodes can

be applied to any of OSI Optoelectronics’ monolithic, common substrate
liner array photodiodes. The output of the first stage pre-amplifiers can
be connected to a sample and hold circuit and a multiplexer. Figure 11
shows the block diagram for such configuration.

Figure 10. Photovoltaic mode of operation circuit example: Ultra low level
light / low speed

In this example, a FET input operational amplifier as well as a large

resistance feedback resistor (RF) is considered. The detector is unbiased
to eliminate any additional noise current. The total output is determined
by equation (15) and the op-amp noise current is determined by RF in
equation (16):

( 15 )

( 16 )

where k=1.38 x 10-23 J/K and T is temperature in K.

Figure 11. Circuit example for a multi-element, common cathode array

World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions 7

 PSD Characteristics

POSITION SENSING DETECTORS

Silicon photodetectors are commonly used for light power measurements OSI Optoelectronics manufactures two types of lateral effect
in a wide range of applications such as; PSD’s. Duo-Lateral and Tetra-Lateral structures. Both structures
• Bar-code readers, are available in one and two-dimensional configurations.

• Laser printers, In duo-lateral PSD’s, there are two resistive layers, one at the top
• Medical imaging, and the other at the bottom of the photodiode. The photocurrent is
• Spectroscopy and more. divided into two parts in each layer. This structure type can resolve
light spot movements of less that 0.5 µm and have very small position
There is another function, however, which utilizes the photodetectors detection error, all the way almost to the edge of the active area. They
as optical position sensors. They, are widely referred to as Position also exhibit excellent position linearity over the entire active area.
Sensing Detectors or simply PSD’s. The applications vary from human
eye movement monitoring, 3-D modeling of human motion to laser, light The tetra-lateral PSD’s, own a single resistive layer, in which
source, and mirrors alignment. They are also widely used in ultra-fast, the photocurrent is divided into two or four parts for one or
accurate auto focusing schemes for a variety of optical systems, such two dimensional sensing respectively. These devices exhibit more
as microscopes, machine tool alignment, vibration analysis and more. position non linearity at distances far away from the center, as well
The position of a beam within fractions of microns can be obtained as larger position detection errors compared to duo-lateral types.
using PSD’s. They are divided into two families: segmented PSD’s and
lateral effect PSD’s.

Segmented PSD’s GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

Segmented PSD’s, are common substrate photodiodes divided into
either two or four segments (for one or two-dimensional measurements, Position Detection Error (PDE) or Position non-linearity is defined
respectively), separated by a gap or dead region. A symmetrical optical as the geometric variation between the actual position and the
beam generates equal photocurrents in all segments, if positioned at measured position of the incident light spot. It is measured over 80%
the center. The relative position is obtained by simply measuring the of the sensing length for single dimensional PSD’s and 64% of the
output current of each segment. They offer position resolution better sensing area for two-dimensional PSD’s. For all calculations, the zero
than 0.1 µm and accuracy higher than lateral effect PSD’s due to point is defined as the electrical center. This is the point at which I1 =
superior responsivity match between the elements. Since the position I2. The error is calculated using the following equation:
resolution is not dependent on the S/N of the system, as it is in lateral
effect PSD’s, very low light level detection is possible. They exhibit
excellent stability over time and temperature and fast response times ( 19 )
necessary for pulsed applications. They are however, confined to
certain limitations, such as the light spot has to overlap all segments at
all times and it can not be smaller than the gap between the segments.
It is important to have a uniform intensity distribution of the light spot Where I1 and I2 are the photocurrents at the ends of the PSD, L is the
for correct measurements. They are excellent devices for applications sensing area half-length in µm, and X is the actual displacement of
like nulling and beam centering. light spot from the electrical center in µm.

Percentage Position Non-linearity is determined by dividing the

Lateral Effect PSD’s position detection error by the total length of the sensing area.
Lateral effect PSD’s, are continuous single element planar diffused
photodiodes with no gaps or dead areas. These types of PSD’s provide Interelectrode Resistance is the resistance between the two end
direct readout of a light spot displacement across the entire active area. contacts in one axis, measured with illumination.
This is achieved by providing an analog output directly proportional to
both the position and intensity of a light spot present on the detector Position Detection Thermal Drift is the position drift with change
active area. A light spot present on the active area will generate of temperature. It is the change in position divided by the total
a photocurrent, which flows from the point of incidence through length. It is defined within 80% of length or 64% of the area for two-
the resistive layer to the contacts. This photocurrent is inversely dimensional PSD’s.
proportional to the resistance between the incident light spot and the
contact. When the input light spot is exactly at the device center, equal Position Resolution is defined as the minimum detectable
current signals are generated. By moving the light spot over the active displacement of a spot of light on the detector active area. The
area, the amount of current generated at the contacts will determine the resolution is limited by the signal to noise ratio of the system. It
exact light spot position at each instant of time. These electrical signals depends on light intensity, detector noise, and electronics bandwidth.
are proportionately related to the light spot position from the center. Position resolutions in excess of one part in ten million have been
achieved with OSI Optoelectronics lateral effect PSD’s.
The main advantage of lateral-effect diodes is their wide dynamic range.
They can measure the light spot position all the way to the edge of the
sensor. They are also independent of the light spot profile and intensity
distribution that effects the position reading in the segmented diodes.
The input light beam may be any size and shape, since the position of
the centroid of the light spot is indicated and provides electrical output
signals proportional to the displacement from the center. The devices
can resolve positions better than 0.5 µm. The resolution is detector /
circuit signal to noise ratio dependent.

8
 PSD Characteristics

POSITION CALCULATIONS
Segmented PSD’s Lateral Effect PSD’s
Figure 12 shows a typical circuit, used with OSI Optoelectronics The one dimensional lateral effect measurements are the same for
segmented photodiodes. duolateral and tetra-lateral structures, since they both have two
contacts on top with a common contact at the bottom. In tetra-lateral
devices, however, the common contact is the anode with two cathodes
on top, thus making them a positive current generator. In duo-lateral
devices there are two anodes on top with a common cathode at
the bottom. Figure 13 shows a typical circuit set up used with one-
dimensional lateral PSD’s.

Figure 12. Typical circuit used with segmented photodiodes Figure 13. Typical circuit used with one dimensional lateral effect PSD’s

The X and Y positions of the light spot with respect to the center on a
quadrant photodiode is found by:
In this configuration the outputs from the first stage are summed and
subtracted in the second stage and finally divided by the divider in
the final stage. The summation, subtraction and the division can be
performed by software as well. The position is given as:

( 20 )
( 21 )

The same components as the one used in segmented photodiodes can

Where A, B, C, and D are the photocurrents measured by each be used with R2 varying from 1 kΩ to 100 kΩ.
sector. The recommended components for this circuit are application
specific. However, the following components are widely used in most For high-speed applications, the junctions can be reverse biased
applications: with a small gain (RF). For low frequency applications, however, the
photodiode can be left unbiased and the gain (RF), can be as high as 100
MΩ. The feedback capacitor stabilizes the frequency dependence of the
gain and can vary from 1 pF to 10 µF. The gain in the first stage amplifier
is IP x RF, and the gain of the second stage is unity.
(continued)

The same circuit can be used for one-dimensional (bi-cell) measurements.

World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions 9

 PSD Characteristics

Two Dimensional Duo-Lateral PSD’s Tetra-Lateral PSD’s

The two dimensional duo-lateral PSD’s with two anodes on top and In a two-dimensional tetra-lateral PSD there are four cathodes and
two cathodes on the back surface of the photodiode measure positions one common anode. Similar to other PSD’s, the signals from the
in two different directions, respectively. They provide a continuous detector are converted to voltage in the first stage and then summed
position reading over the entire active area, with accuracy higher and subtracted in the second stage and then finally divided in the final
than the tetra-lateral PSD’s. Figure 14 shows a typical circuit for two- stage. This is shown in Figure 15.
dimensional duo-lateral PSD’s.
For high-speed applications, the anode is reverse biased and the
feedback resistor (RF) shall be chosen small. Additional gain can be
achieved by additional stages. The recommended components and the
output are similar to two-dimensional duo-lateral devices.

Figure 14. Typical Circuit used with two-dimensional duo-lateral PSD’s

For high-speed applications, the cathodes are usually forward biased

while the anodes are reverse biased. This extends the bias range
that is normally limited by the maximum reverse voltage. The same Figure 15. Typical Circuit used with two dimensional tetra-lateral PSD’s
components as the one-dimensional PSD’s are recommended. The
output is as follows:

( 22 )

10
 Application Notes and Reading Sources

The following application notes are available for more technical information
about specific uses and applications:

1. Silicon photodiodes come into their own

2. Silicon photodiodes - physics and technology (*)
3. Noise and frequency response of silicon photodiode operational amplifier combination
4. Suitability of silicon photodiodes for laser emission measurements (*)
5. Measuring LED outputs accurately
6. Radiometric and photometric concepts based on measurement techniques
7. Silicon photodiode device with 100% external quantum efficiency
8. Lateral-effect photodiodes (*)
9. Techniques for using the position sensitivity of silicon photodetectors to provide remote machine control
10. Practical electro-optics deflection measurements system
11. Non-contact optical position sensing using silicon photodetectors
12. Continuous position sensing series (LSC, SC)
13. Using photodetectors for position sensing (*)
14. High-precision, wide range, dual axis angle monitoring system
15. Real time biomechanical position sensing based on a lateral effect photodiode (*)
16. A new optical transducer to measure damped harmonic motion
17. Quantum efficiency stability of silicon photodiodes
18. Neutron hardness of photodiodes for use in passive rubidium frequency standards (*)
19. The effect of neutron irradiation on silicon photodiodes
20. Stable, high quantum efficiency, UV-enhanced silicon photodiodes by arsenic diffusion
21. Stable, high quantum efficiency silicon photodiodes for vacuum-UV applications
22. Stability and quantum efficiency performance of silicon photodiode detectors in the far ultraviolet
23. Silicon photodiodes with stable, near-theoretical quantum efficiency in the soft X-ray region

(*) These Files Are Downloadable from the OSI Optoelectronics, Inc. web site.

For any of the above documents, request them by number and write to:

Recommended Sources For Further Reading:

Graeme, Jerald, Photodiode Amplifiers, McGraw Hill, New York, 1996
Dereniak, E.L., and D.G. Crowe, Optical Radiation Detectors, Wiley, New York, 1984.
Keyes, R.J., Optical and Infrared Detectors, Vol. 19, Topics in Applied Physics, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1980.
Kingston, R.H., Detection of Optical and Infrared Radiation, Springer-Verlag, New York 1978.
Kruse, P.W., L.D. McGlaughlin, and R.B. McQuistan, Elements of Infrared Technology, Wiley, New York, 1963.
Sze, S.M., Physics of Semiconductor Devices, 2nd ed., Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1981.
Willardson, R.K., and A.C. Beer, Semiconductors and Semimetals, Academic Press, New York, 1977.
Wolfe, W.L. and G.J. Zissis, The Infrared Handbook, Superintendent of Documents, Washington D.C., 1979.

World Class Products - Light Sensing Solutions 11

Electro-Optical Specifications and Design Notes
Standard Photodetector Products
strong design and
Our
creative engineering group
can provide services from
concept to final manufacture.

In addition to our wide variety of standard

photodiodes appearing in the following pages,
a majority of OSI Optoelectronics’ products
include a broad range of custom photodiodes
and custom value-added products.

• High Reliability, Military and Aerospace Detectors

per Applicable MIL-STDs.

• High Energy Particle Detectors

• Detector / Hybrid Combinations
(Thick, Thin and Combifilm Ceramics)

• Detector / Filter Combinations

• Detector / Emitter Combinations

• Detector / PCB Combinations

• Detector / Scintillator Crystal Combinations

• Color Temperature Detectors

• Low Cost Lead Frame Molded Detectors

• Opto Switches and Interrupters

• Detector / Thermo-Electric Cooler Combinations

• Surface Mount Packages

• Custom Position Sensing Detectors

• Multi-Element Array (1D and 2D Configurations)

*Most of our standard catalog products are

RoHS Compliant. Please contact us for details.