Optoelectronics line expanded with high-speed PIN photodiode

New Yorker Electronics has added the new Vishay Semiconductors VEMD8081 High-Speed and Highs-Sensitivity PIN photodiode with enhanced sensitivity for visible light. The device offers increased photocurrent of 33µA in a 4.8mm x 2.5mm SMD package with a 5.4mm2 sensitive area detecting visible and near-infrared radiation.

Designed with a slim 0.48mm height, the device is excellent for optical heart rate detection in wearable devices, including fitness trackers and smartwatches when placed between two pulsing green LEDs. They are also used in SpO2 measurement in medical monitors when combined with red and infrared emitters.

The new device offers 15% greater reverse light current than its predecessor, the Vishay VEMD8080, while preserving the same package dimensions. It uses the company's proven wafer technology to identify visible and near-infrared radiation. The device offers designers with a drop-in replacement that can increase performance by improving signal output, or extend battery life by decreasing LED current.

The device’s rectangular shape maximises the area of the photodiode receiving reflected light, removing the wasted area often found in square photodiodes. For heart rate measurement in wearable devices, the light reflected off the skin is received by the photodiode and converted to an output current, with the device’s increased sensitivity enabling more accurate measurements.