A Review of Quenching Circuit Design Based on Geiger-Mode APD

The Avalanche Photon Diode (APD) in the Geiger-mode is also called Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD). It has the advantages of fast response, small volume, light weight and low power consumption and it has become the first selection of high performance single photon detection system. The quenching circuit, as the interface circuit between the SPAD detector and the Readout Interrupt Circuit (ROIC), plays a decisive role in the performance of the single photon detection system. This review first introduces the basic content of SPAD. Then, the design of the quenching circuit for the APD needed for different detection requirements is analyzed. Finally the application of APD array in laser radar technology is briefly introduced.