{"id":{"repo_id":"maryland","oai_identifier":"oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/13027"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/maryland/oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/13027","repository":{"repo_id":"maryland","name":"University of Maryland","base_url":"https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"CMOS SINGLE-PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODES AND MICROMACHINED OPTICAL FILTERS FOR INTEGRATED FLUORESCENCE SENSING","abstract":"This dissertation presents a body of work that addresses the two most pressing challenges in the field of integrated fluorescence sensing, namely, the design of integrated optical sensors and the fabrication of high-rejection micro-scale optical filters. Two novel enabling technologies were introduced. They are: the perimeter-gated single-photon avalanche diode (PGSPAD), for on-chip photon counting, and the benzotriazole (BTA)-doped thin-film polymer filter, for on-chip ultraviolet light rejection. Experimental results revealed that the PGSPAD front-end, fabricated in a 0.5 μm standard mixed-signal CMOS process, had the capability of counting photons in the MHz regime. In addition, it was found that a perimeter gate, a structural feature used to suppress edge breakdown in the diode, also maximized the signal-to-noise-ratio in the high-count rate regime whereas it maximized sensitivity at low count rates. On the other hand, BTA-doped filters were demonstrated utilizing three commonly used polymers as hosts. The filters were patternable, utilizing the same procedures traditionally used to pattern the undoped polymer hosts, a key advantage for integration into microsystems. Filter performance was analyzed using a set of metrics developed for optoelectronic characterization of integrated fluorescence sensors; high rejection levels (nearing -40 dB) of UV light were observed in films of only 5 μm in thickness. Ultimately, BTA-doped filters were integrated into a portable sensor, and their use was demonstrated in two types of bioassays.","abstract_html":"This dissertation presents a body of work that addresses the two most pressing challenges in the field of integrated fluorescence sensing, namely, the design of integrated optical sensors and the fabrication of high-rejection micro-scale optical filters. Two novel enabling technologies were introduced. They are: the perimeter-gated single-photon avalanche diode (PGSPAD), for on-chip photon counting, and the benzotriazole (BTA)-doped thin-film polymer filter, for on-chip ultraviolet light rejection. Experimental results revealed that the PGSPAD front-end, fabricated in a 0.5 μm standard mixed-signal CMOS process, had the capability of counting photons in the MHz regime. In addition, it was found that a perimeter gate, a structural feature used to suppress edge breakdown in the diode, also maximized the signal-to-noise-ratio in the high-count rate regime whereas it maximized sensitivity at low count rates. On the other hand, BTA-doped filters were demonstrated utilizing three commonly used polymers as hosts. The filters were patternable, utilizing the same procedures traditionally used to pattern the undoped polymer hosts, a key advantage for integration into microsystems. Filter performance was analyzed using a set of metrics developed for optoelectronic characterization of integrated fluorescence sensors; high rejection levels (nearing -40 dB) of UV light were observed in films of only 5 μm in thickness. Ultimately, BTA-doped filters were integrated into a portable sensor, and their use was demonstrated in two types of bioassays.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dandin, Marc Peralte"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Bioengineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Abshire, Pamela A","Smela, Elisabeth"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:15Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13027","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Abshire, Pamela A","Smela, Elisabeth"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Bioengineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dandin, Marc Peralte"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2012-10-10T11:22:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-10-10T11:22:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13027"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation presents a body of work that addresses the two most pressing challenges in the field of integrated fluorescence sensing, namely, the design of integrated optical sensors and the fabrication of high-rejection micro-scale optical filters. Two novel enabling technologies were introduced. They are: the perimeter-gated single-photon avalanche diode (PGSPAD), for on-chip photon counting, and the benzotriazole (BTA)-doped thin-film polymer filter, for on-chip ultraviolet light rejection. Experimental results revealed that the PGSPAD front-end, fabricated in a 0.5 μm standard mixed-signal CMOS process, had the capability of counting photons in the MHz regime. In addition, it was found that a perimeter gate, a structural feature used to suppress edge breakdown in the diode, also maximized the signal-to-noise-ratio in the high-count rate regime whereas it maximized sensitivity at low count rates. On the other hand, BTA-doped filters were demonstrated utilizing three commonly used polymers as hosts. The filters were patternable, utilizing the same procedures traditionally used to pattern the undoped polymer hosts, a key advantage for integration into microsystems. Filter performance was analyzed using a set of metrics developed for optoelectronic characterization of integrated fluorescence sensors; high rejection levels (nearing -40 dB) of UV light were observed in films of only 5 μm in thickness. Ultimately, BTA-doped filters were integrated into a portable sensor, and their use was demonstrated in two types of bioassays."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["CMOS SINGLE-PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODES AND MICROMACHINED OPTICAL FILTERS FOR INTEGRATED FLUORESCENCE SENSING"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Abshire, Pamela A","Smela, Elisabeth"],"dc:contributor.department":["Bioengineering"],"dc:creator":["Dandin, Marc Peralte"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2012-10-10T11:22:14Z"],"dc:date.available":["2012-10-10T11:22:14Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2012"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation presents a body of work that addresses the two most pressing challenges in the field of integrated fluorescence sensing, namely, the design of integrated optical sensors and the fabrication of high-rejection micro-scale optical filters. Two novel enabling technologies were introduced. They are: the perimeter-gated single-photon avalanche diode (PGSPAD), for on-chip photon counting, and the benzotriazole (BTA)-doped thin-film polymer filter, for on-chip ultraviolet light rejection. Experimental results revealed that the PGSPAD front-end, fabricated in a 0.5 μm standard mixed-signal CMOS process, had the capability of counting photons in the MHz regime. In addition, it was found that a perimeter gate, a structural feature used to suppress edge breakdown in the diode, also maximized the signal-to-noise-ratio in the high-count rate regime whereas it maximized sensitivity at low count rates. On the other hand, BTA-doped filters were demonstrated utilizing three commonly used polymers as hosts. The filters were patternable, utilizing the same procedures traditionally used to pattern the undoped polymer hosts, a key advantage for integration into microsystems. Filter performance was analyzed using a set of metrics developed for optoelectronic characterization of integrated fluorescence sensors; high rejection levels (nearing -40 dB) of UV light were observed in films of only 5 μm in thickness. Ultimately, BTA-doped filters were integrated into a portable sensor, and their use was demonstrated in two types of bioassays."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1903/13027"],"dc:title":["CMOS SINGLE-PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODES AND MICROMACHINED OPTICAL FILTERS FOR INTEGRATED FLUORESCENCE SENSING"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:02:15Z"}