On the characterisation of SiPMs from pulse-height spectra

V. Chmill; E. Garutti; R. Klanner; M. Nitschke; J. Schwandt

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.02.049

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arXiv · 1609.01181

On the characterisation of SiPMs from pulse-height spectra

V. Chmill·E. Garutti·R. Klanner·M. Nitschke·J. Schwandt

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Abstract

Methods are developed, which use the pulse-height spectra of SiPMs measured in the dark and illuminated by pulsed light, to determine the pulse shape, the dark-count rate, the gain, the average number of photons initiating a Geiger discharge, the probabilities for prompt cross-talk and after-pulses, as well as the electronics noise and the gain fluctuations between and in pixels. The entire pulse-height spectra, including the background regions in-between the peaks corresponding to different number of Geiger discharges, are described by single functions. As a demonstration, the model is used to characterise a KETEK SiPM with 4382 pixels of 15 \mu m x 15 \mu m area for voltages between 2.5 and 8 V above the breakdown voltage at 20{\deg}C. The results are compared to other methods of characterising SiPMs. Finally, examples are given, how the complete description of the pulse-eight spectra can be used to optimise the operating voltage of SiPMs, and a method for an in-situ calibration and monitoring of SiPMs, suited for large-scale applications, is proposed.

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V. Chmill, E. Garutti, R. Klanner, M. Nitschke, J. Schwandt. 2016-09-05. On the characterisation of SiPMs from pulse-height spectra. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.02.049

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