Performance study of silicon photomultipliers as photon detectors for PET

The use of Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) as photon detectors in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) modules offers significant advantages over conventional light sensors, including application in a magnetic field, better resolution and easier operation. Different types of SiPMs have been tested: Photonique, 2.1×2.1 mm2, Hamamatsu 3×3 mm2 and STMicroelectronics 3.5×3.5 mm2. Dark noise, surface sensitivity, photon detection efficiency and linearity at low light intensities have been measured. A LYSO crystal was coupled to a SiPM to test the performance as a photon detector for PET. We will present the results of the measurements for different samples and types.