The Impact Ionization MOSFET (IMOS) as Low-Voltage Optical Detector

The avalanche photodiode (APD) is promoted as an alternative to photomultiplier tubes for optical sensing. When operated in Geiger mode, optically generated electron-hole-pairs trigger an avalanche multiplication, releasing typically about 1E6 charge carriers. However, APDs need operating voltages of about 70 V in order to allow cascaded impact ionization, making them unsuitable for several applications, especially in battery-powered devices. We propose a new device concept based on the vertical Impact Ionization MOSFET (IMOS), which could significantly reduce the operating voltage to about 5 V by using gate control and an additional current-enhancing effect.