Modular Scalable Low-Light Sensor Array

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have become essential for detecting low-intensity optical signals across scientific, medical, and industrial domains. Their high sensitivity and fast response make them suitable for applications such as tomography, particle detection, and life sciences. However, current SiPM technologies face limitations in scalability and system integration. Detector sizes are typically restricted to dimensions below approximately 10 mm, requiring complex and non-standardized interconnection strategies to achieve larger detection areas. Additionally, read-out electronics often lack uniformity and scalability, complicating system design and increasing development effort. These challenges hinder the deployment of large-area detectors with consistent performance. Therefore, a need exists for a standardized, modular approach that enables scalable detector architectures while maintaining high temporal resolution and efficient signal processing capabilities.

The invention relates to a modular detector architecture based on hybrid “base cells”, each integrating multiple vertically stacked functional layers. The uppermost layer consists of a low light level detector array, such as silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), responsible for photon detection. Beneath this, a first-level read-out layer - typically implemented in CMOS technology - performs immediate signal amplification and preprocessing. A second-level read-out layer provides backend functionalities, including data aggregation, synchronization, and external interfacing. All layers are electrically interconnected through vertical junctions, enabling compact integration and efficient signal transfer.

A central feature of the technology is the transversal interconnection of these base cells. This approach enables the creation of virtually seamless detector surfaces that can be configured in planar or curved geometries. The second-level electronics support scalable communication architectures, including optical or Ethernet-based interfaces, ensuring efficient data handling across extensive arrays. Furthermore, configurable read-out circuits allow dynamic adjustment of effective pixel size and temporal resolution. This enables flexible operation modes, such as combining multiple pixels to increase sensitivity or adapting timing from nanosecond-scale acquisition to slower sampling regimes, depending on specific application requirements.

• Scalable detector surface: Enables seamless expansion from small modules to square-meter arrays.
• Flexible geometry: Supports both flat and curved surfaces to fit diverse system architectures.
• Modular design: Easy replacement or upgrade of detector or electronics layers without system overhaul.
• Adaptive resolution: Virtual pixel grouping allows tuning between higher sensitivity and finer spatial detail.
• Efficient performance: Low power consumption (<100 mW/cm²) with fast, nanosecond-level read-out.

• Medical imaging systems, including PET and CT, requiring high-sensitivity large-area photon detection.
• High-energy physics and astrophysics experiments detecting low-intensity or rare particle interactions.
• Industrial non-destructive testing and tomography using low light signal acquisition.
• Life science instrumentation for fluorescence detection and bioimaging applications.
• Security and environmental monitoring systems relying on precise low light sensing technologies.

Patent active in US (US12295180 B2) and patent application pending in EP (EP 4094291 A1)