ISSCC 2021: Sony SPAD for LiDAR Reaches 22% PDE at 905nm

Sony reports developing SPAD sensor for ist LiDAR with a record Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) of 22% at 905nm and almost 30% at 850nm. It's also claimed to be the first stacked SPAD for LiDAR applications.

"Now, by leveraging Sony's technologies such as back-illuminated pixel structure, stacked configurations and Cu-Cu connections cultivated in the development of CMOS image sensors, and achieving the SPAD pixels and distance measuring processing circuitry on a single chip, Sony has succeeded in developing a compact yet high-resolution sensor.

This enables high-precision, high-speed measurement at 15-centimeter range resolutions up to a distance of 300 meters (When measuring an object with a height of 1 meter and reflectance of 10% using additive mode of 6 x 6 pixels (H x V) under cloudy daylight conditions.)"