Response of Silicon photo-multipliers to a constant light flux

Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM hence-over) do represent the state of the art for low visible light flux measurements with single photon sensitivity [1,2]. Whether most of the envisaged applications are related to pulsed light [3–5], the response to a constant light field is certainly of interest. This was investigated within RAPSODI (Radiation Protection with Silicon Optoelectronics Devices and Instruments), a collaborative research project 2 supported by the European Commission within the 6 Framework Program. The study was linked to one of the applications addressed in the project, namely the development of a real-time dosimeter for mammography. The methodology, the laboratory tests and the application to the mammography dosimeter prototype characterization are reported in the following.