Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controlled circuit
Patent
1987-09-15
1990-01-16
Westin, Edward P.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controlled circuit
25037001, 25037008, 25037012, 357 4, 357 30, H01J 4014
Patent
active
048945269
ABSTRACT:
A narrow-bandwidth, high-speed infrared radiation detector is based on tunneling of photo-excited electrons out of quantum wells. Infrared radiation incident on a superlattice of doped quantum wells gives rise to intersubband resonance radiation which excites electrons from the ground state into an excited state. A photocurrent results from excited electrons tunneling out of quantum wells. Conveniently, Group III-V materials can be used in device manufacture. Preferably, quantum well potential barriers are shaped so as to facilitate resonant tunneling of photocurrents as compared with dark current. Preferred device operation is at elevated bias voltage, giving rise to enhancement of photocurrent by a quantum-well-avalanche effect.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4525731 (1985-06-01), Chappell et al.
patent: 4561005 (1985-12-01), Shannon
patent: 4581621 (1986-04-01), Reed
patent: 4607272 (1986-08-01), Osbourn
patent: 4620214 (1986-10-01), Margalit et al.
Bethea Clyde G.
Choi Kwong-Kit
Levine Barry F.
Malik Roger J.
Walker John F.
American Telephone and Telegraph Company AT&T Bell Laboratories
Businger Peter A.
Shami Khaled
Westin Edward P.
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