Performance of a large-area avalanche photodiode at low temperature for scintillation detection

We investigate the performance of a large-area (13 mm x 13 mm) avalanche photodiode at temperatures ranging from 4.2 to 77 K. We find that the gain, at a given bias voltage, increases with decreasing temperature down to 40 K, below which a premature breakdown phenomenon occurs. The quantum efficiency of the device decreases with decreasing temperature until approximately 40 K, at which point it drops abruptly to < 15% of its room temperature value. The sensitivity of the device above 40 K makes it a good candidate for detection of scintillation light in low-temperature systems. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.