학술논문

Dark Current Degradation in SiPMs Along Full Orbits in LEO
Document Type
Conference
Source
2024 Argentine Conference on Electronics (CAE) Electronics (CAE), 2024 Argentine Conference on. :5-9 Mar, 2024
Subject
Aerospace
Bioengineering
Communication, Networking and Broadcast Technologies
Components, Circuits, Devices and Systems
Computing and Processing
Fields, Waves and Electromagnetics
Power, Energy and Industry Applications
Robotics and Control Systems
Signal Processing and Analysis
Photomultipliers
Temperature sensors
Temperature measurement
Satellites
Current measurement
Low earth orbit satellites
Extraterrestrial measurements
Silicon Photomultipliers
Space Mission
Hardware
Small Satellites
Language
ISSN
2836-1024
Abstract
Utilizing the LabOSat-0l payload with a dedicated Daughter Board, we investigated the behavior of four ONSEMI MicroFC-60035-SMT Silicon Photomultipliers in DC mode in Low Earth Orbit from January 2020 to February 2023. During this time frame, an increase in the measured current of the Silicon Photomultipliers was noted, prompting the exploration of various hypotheses. Among these, there was the potential damage to either the Silicon Photomultipliers themselves or some of the associated electronics. Through a comprehensive examination of the Silicon Photo-multiplier behavior across complete satellite orbits, we were able to dismiss the theory of electronic damage. Our findings lead us to the conclusion that the observed increase in the measured SiPM current is a result of damage sustained by the Silicon Photomultipliers themselves, possibly incurred from interactions with highly energetic particles in orbit. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that the DCDC boost converter LT3571, respon-sible for biasing the Silicon Photomultiplier sensors, remains unaffected by temperature fluctuations in Low Earth Orbit, maintaining proper functionality throughout the mission's three-and-a-half-year duration.