Simulation and measurement of short infrared pulses on silicon position sensitive device

Lateral position sensitive devices (PSD) are important for triangulation, alignment and surface measurements as well as for angle measurements. Large PSDs show a delay on rising and falling edges when irradiated with near infra-red light [1]. This delay is also dependent on the spot position relative to the electrodes. It is however desirable in most applications to have a fast response. We investigated the responsiveness of a Sitek PSD in a mixed mode simulation of a two dimensional full sized detector. For simulation and measurement purposes focused light pulses with a wavelength of 850 nm, duration of 1 mu s and spot size of 280 mu m were used. The cause for the slopes of rise and fall time is due to time constants of the device capacitance as well as the photo-generation mechanism itself [1]. To support the simulated results, we conducted measurements of rise and fall times on a physical device. Additionally, we quantified the homogeneity of the device by repositioning a spot of light from a pulsed ir-laser diode on the surface area.