Thanks for these leads! I just now searched and found both books
from local technical library and also from local mail order business.
In case these books do not cover this (most do not), do you know if
dark current can be reduced significantly in a PIN?
Choose the smallest active area that will still capture all of your
signal. Sort several detectors for lowest dark current.
But, I think if noise is your concern that other noise sources, like
the transimpedance amp feedback network, might be a bigger concern.
Others on this forum may be more qualified to comment on this.
Can they survive
and operate with nitrogen cooling? I am thinking to place the PIN
inside an aluminum housing and to have cooling lines for nitrogen
running through the aluminum block. Any ideas?
I'm almost certain that they will operate fine that cold. Mechanical
damage from too fast thermal shock is probably the only concern.
But this adds the significant problem of forming frost on the detector
housing window, so a lot of dry nitrogen gas flushing would be needed.
I have seen output offsets from high gain transimpedance amps
(>=1G) significantly reduced by flushing the amp housing with dry
nitrogen. Reduced the leakage paths - which were most significant
across the op amp package surface - more than across the feedback
components. It can make a dramatic difference. Painting everything
with red corona dope helps too once the surfaces have been cleaned
and the leakage tested.
Again, application is measurement of red/infrared from faint stars from a
telescope.
Dominic
Steve J. Noll | Ventura California |
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