Please, help to identify laser photodiode component

May 23, 2006 3 Replies
B

Hi, I've been searching for a while with no luck. I need to identify a manufacturer of photodiodes (I think they are photodiodes) that are used in laser targets (the kind of electronic laser targets that builders use to determine level).



The detector that I took apart uses something resembling lateral PIN photodiode with silicon on insulation construction. Looks just like a strip of solar cell between 2 metal conductors, however I somehow don't think that it is. It does seem to produce 0.3V voltage all by itself in response to incident light, however when the target is powered up, it seems to receive full 9V bias.



Anyway, if anybody knows what component is used in laser targets that catch visible red laser, please point me in the right direction.



Thanks!



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S

Very likely a Position Sensitive Detector, a specialized silicon photodiode. The two visible conductors would be its two anodes, the cathode being the backside metal connection. It would be called a one-dimensional PSD. It may be AC coupled into a pair of amplifiers to detect pulsed laser light in sunlight conditions. Google "position sensitive detector."

Steve Noll | The Used Equipment Dealer Directory: |

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B

Steve,

You've nailed it exactly right. Thank you so much. I now find plenty of hamamatsu PSD devices that I've overlooked. But I never had background in optoelectronics.

Thanks again.

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