Compared to other photosensor technologies, such as PiN diodes, APDs, and PMTs, SiPMs offer a winning combination of properties. These include high gain, excellent PDE, and fast timing along with the practical advantages associated with solid-state technology: compactness, ruggedness, low bias voltage, and insensitivity to magnetic fields. Each SiPM series combines high photon detection efficiency (PDE) with low dark count rate; and with other varying characteristics that are suited to specific applications.
Featured New Products
ArrayRDM-0112A20-QFN
- 1x12 pixel array format
- PDE of 16% at 905 nm
- Automotive qualified
ArrayRDM-0116A10-DFN
- 1x16 pixel array format
- PDE of 16% at 905 nm
- Automotive qualified
MicroRD-10020-MLP
- 1 mm sensor size
- PDE of > 9% at 905 nm
Product Family
RB-Series SiPM
ON Semiconductor’s product family of 1 mm SiPM pixels with enhanced NIR sensitivity for LiDAR applications.
J-Series SiPM
ON Semiconductor’s product family of highest PDE SiPM pixel sensors for UV to green wavelengths.
C-Series SiPM
ON Semiconductor’s product family of low dark count rate SiPM pixel sensors for UV to green wavelengths.
RDM-Series SiPM
ON Semiconductor’s product family of NIR enhanced sensitivity SiPM products for automotive LiDAR applications.
Videos
Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) for Automotive and Industrial LiDAR Applications
Featuring high performance and high reliability, and with an expanding sensor portfolio, ON Semiconductor provides the best sensor solutions.
Gen3 LiDAR Demo - Outdoor Ranging
ON Semiconductor's Gen3 demo of SiPM sensors to achieve high resolution, long range imaging. Here we show our Gen 3 Scanning LiDAR Demonstrator in a live outdoor test.
Gen3 LiDAR Demo - Indoor Ranging
The Gen3 demo uses SiPM sensors to achieve high resolution, long range imaging. In this video we show a 1x16 C-Series SiPM in an 80 x 5 degree coaxial scanning LiDAR demonstrator.
Solid State LiDAR Design Considerations
Describing how SiPM sensors can be used for long range LiDAR in challenging environments.
Product Resources
Application Note
Introduction to the Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM)
A complete introduction to Silicon Photomultipliers, their operational principle and key performance metrics.The Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) is a sensor that addresses the challenge of sensing, timing and quantifying low-light signals down to the single-photon level. Traditionally the province of the Photomultiplier Tube (PMT), the Silicon Photomultiplier now offers a highly attractive alternative that combines the low-light detection capabilities of the PMT while offering all the benefits of a solid-state sensor.
White Paper
SiPMs in Direct ToF Ranging Applications
How to utilize SiPM in LiDAR and the impact of the various system and environmental factors on the resulting performance. This white paper is intended to assist in the development of SiPM (Silicon Photomultiplier) based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems. The following sections contain information on the design and implementation of a direct ToF (Time-of-Flight) rangefinder, in terms of the laser, timing and optical parameters and detailed analysis of key aspects that must be considered when integrating SiPMs in such systems.
White Paper
Direct Time−of−Flight Depth Sensing Reference Designs
An introduction to the LiDAR reference designs and evaluation kits available from ON Semiconductor. Depth sensing with precise measurements is a requirement for many applications in today’s markets, including industrial, consumer, and automotive. ON Semiconductor has designed a suite of depth sensing reference designs and evaluation kits to simplify the design process enabling faster development and time−to−market of depth sensing solutions for multiple markets.
Blog
How LiDAR can be used for Industrial Range Finding
LiDAR stands for ‘light detection and ranging’ and is a technique for measuring the distance of objects away from a sensing device. The principles used are very similar to RADAR but, with LiDAR, the radio waves are replaced by light – usually laser light. The LiDAR system emits a beam of light that hits a target before being reflected back to a sensor that is located close to the light source.By measuring the time taken for the light to travel, and knowing the constant speed of light, the distance of the target can be calculated with a high degree of accuracy. This is referred to as Time of Flight (ToF).
Blog
LiDAR Partners Program: Bringing the Ecosystem Together
The need for automation in factory and industrial settings will continually increase in the coming years, at the same time as the autonomous driving revolution. These applications all require autonomous perception systems, which use a combination of sensors. LiDAR is the only sensor technology capable of providing a high-resolution, accurate 3D point cloud representing a depth map of the system’s surroundings. With an increased interest in these sensors, the amount of funding, research, and development that has gone into commercializing LiDAR with better performance and lower cost has been immense, exceeding a billion dollars to date.