Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1987-03-02
1988-07-12
Westin, Edward P.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
357 30, H01L 2714
Patent
active
047572108
ABSTRACT:
An edge illuminated optical detector array includes a series of two or more detectors which operate under an applied electric field. Each detector includes an extrinsic semiconducting active layer with a first conductivity type impurity concentration high enough to create an impurity energy band, and an intrinsic semiconducting blocking layer in which substantially no charge transport occurs by an impurity conduction mechanism. The detectors are positioned relative to one another such that optical energy incident on the array and directed substantially orthogonal to the applied electric field impinges on the first detector in the series and the portion of the optical energy which is transmitted by each detector is directed to the succeeding detector in the series. In this manner, the spectral content of the optical energy impinging on each detector is modified by the spectral transmission characteristics of the preceding detectors. In a solid state photomultiplier detector embodiment, each detector also includes an extrinsic semiconducting buffered layer having a first conductivity type impurity concentration which is high enough to create an impurity energy band and a second conductivity type impurity concentration which is high enough that first conductivity type carriers injected into the buffered layer recombine with ionized first conductivity type impurities. Each active layer also includes a second conductivity type impurity concentration which is low enough that first conductivity type carriers photogenerated in the active layer can drift through the active layer without recombining with ionized first conductivity type impurities.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3987298 (1976-10-01), Rotolante
patent: 4568960 (1986-02-01), Petroff et al.
patent: 4581625 (1986-04-01), Gay et al.
patent: 4586068 (1986-04-01), Petroff et al.
Bharat Ramasesha
Petroff Michael D.
Deinken John J.
Hamann H. Fredrick
Malin Craig O.
Rockwell International Corporation
Westin Edward P.
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