Single-Shot Pulsed-LiDAR SPAD Sensor with on-chip Peak Detection for Background Rejection

In recent years, direct Time-of-Flight techniques have been exploited with single-photon detectors to provide long distance ranges and high-frame rates measurements. Detectors based on Silicon Photon Multipliers commonly collect repetitive laser shots reconstruct a histogram of the TOF returning pulsed-laser photons, so discriminate between signal, background light, detector noise. Instead performing multi-shot measurements, we propose single-shot technique capable just one useful per pulse, corresponding peak signal highest number concurrent photons. this way, ambient photons dark counts are rejected, being mostly randomly distributed over time compared pulse Therefore, there is no need for shots, neither acquire store multiple TOFs, nor post-process any histogram, since each shot can information. We present sensor chip pixel 272 SPADs, which concurrently an analog triggering multi-hit TDC exceeds previous peak. report preliminary tests up 25 m, rejecting 60 klux solar background, > 95% success ratio.