Silicon photomultiplier for laser detection of objects in the near area vehicle environment

In the last decade great developments have been achieved in detection of single photons. They were mainly driven by research on subatomic particles at CERN. However, for automotive, medical and sensor applications Hamamatsu Photonics K. K. invented Multi Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs). The MPPC is a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) containing lots of Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiodes (G-APD) connected in parallel combining them to a light sensor. The numerous G-APDs are also called pixels. In the Geiger-mode, not just electrons but also holes lead to the creation of an avalanche. Thus, the sensitivity is improved. Their low bias voltage, high gain and excellent photon counting capability make them more and more suitable for sensor applications. In this paper we want to discuss the properties of the 1600 pixel MPPC, create an equivalent circuit diagram and reflect on the benefits of them in sensors for transportation systems.