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Novel ultra-fast photodetectors for near reconstruction-less time-of-flight positron emission tomography

Award Number: R21EB028398
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

Group Awards By Issue Date FY or Funding FY:

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SUMMARY Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography (TOF-PET) scanners provide better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and artifact reduction compared to conventional PET systems. The performance of TOF-PET scanners improves with the timing precision of its detectors: the more accuracy in the time detection of gamma photons the better the performance. The ultimate aim of TOF-PET is to reach a 10 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM) coincidence time resolution (CTR) to resolve precisely the positron-electron annihilation point in 3 dimensions. State-of-the-art PET detectors consist of scintillation crystals coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) and show timing resolutions in the order of 100-200 ps FWHM. In this project, we focus on improving dramatically the timing properties of the SiPMs, as such improvement would have a strong impact on TOF-PET as it would improve the timing performance of most detectors that use scintillation crystals and/or Cerenkov light emitters by several-fold. State-of-the-art SiPMs are optimized for a narrow range of wavelengths (¿) because of the difference in penetration depth at different wavelengths. For photons of ¿=450 nm and ¿=590 nm, the attenuation depth is 0.4 µm and 2 µm, respectively. The trade-off is to either a) to have a thicker depletion layer to absorb a wider range of wavelengths but to increase the time jitter, or b) to have a thinner depletion layer to reduce the time jitter but absorb only a narrow range of wavelengths. Therefore, there is not a state-of-the-art SiPM that provides, simultaneously, very fast time response, and high photon detection efficiency (PDE) across a wide range of wavelengths. We propose to develop an SiPM prototype with photon-trapping microstructures integrated in the depletion layer that disperses the light laterally and allows one to obtain high-detection efficiency for a wide range of wavelengths within a depletion layer of 1 µm. With such a thin layer, the jitter in the electron drift time decreases to 10 ps and the dark current is expected to decrease as well. This new photosensor could revolutionize TOF-PET. The utilization of periodic microstructures to bend light in a perpendicular orientation and trapping photons for enhanced interaction with materials, high detection efficiency and fast response have been recently shown for wavelengths between 800-900 nm for optical communication. In this proposal, we will develop a new SiPM based on this technology. First, we will simulate the optimum layer structure to integrate the hole-trapping microstructures and an avalanche region to provide a gain of >105. Second, we will do an electronic characterization for the different type of microcells, including a gain calibration and measure quantum efficiency for different ¿ for each cell. Finally, we will manufacture a wafer with full-size SiPMs (3x3 mm2) and test the SiPMs with scintillation crystals and Cerenkov emitters.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2023	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR, STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	4/18/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $196,250 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR, STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	4/9/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$196,250
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR, STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	3	5/29/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $196,250

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $191,067 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR, STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	3/18/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$191,067
														Subtotal = $191,067

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $222,808 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS	1850 RESEARCH PARK DR, STE 300	DAVIS	CA	95618	YOLO	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	6/7/2019	NEW	$222,808
														Subtotal = $222,808

Grand Total All Awards = $610,125

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Novel ultra-fast photodetectors for near reconstruction-less time-of-flight positron emission tomography

Award Number: R21EB028398

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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