A large-aperture high-sensitivity avalanche image intensifier panel

A large-aperture high-sensitivity image intensifier panel that consists of an avalanche photodiode array and a light-emitting diode array is presented. The device has 40% quantum efficiency, over 10⁴ optical gain, and 80-ns time resolution. The aperture size of the device is 20 cm, and with the current manufacturing process, it can be scaled to arbitrarily larger sizes. The device can intensify the light from a single particle scintillation emission to an eye-visible bright flash. The image resolution of the device is currently limited by the size of the avalanche photodiode that is 2 mm, although it can be scaled to smaller sizes in the near future. The image intensifier is operated at a small voltage, typically +57 V. The device can be applied to various applications, such as scintillation imaging, night vision cameras, and an image converter from non-visible light (such as infrared or ultraviolet) to visible light.