Comparison of proton and electron radiation effects on dark count rate in a CMOS SPAD sensor

The aim of this work is to investigate the degradation induced by radiation on the Dark Count Rate in a monolithic SPADs detector manufactured in a 150-nm CMOS process. Two irradiation campaigns have been carried out with 16 MeV protons and 2 MeV electrons. Samples have been exposed to different displacement damage dose. Differences between the effects induced by the two irradiation particle types have been observed. The Dark Count Rate characterization as a function of the delivered fluence has been reported, providing the limits of operability of such devices in a radiation environment. Finally, possible Dark Count Rate mitigation techniques have been investigated.