Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1986-04-15
1987-08-04
Nelms, David C.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
357 32, H01J 4014
Patent
active
046848126
ABSTRACT:
An infrared imager, wherein a transparent gate is separated from a very narrow bandgap semiconductor (such as HgCdTe) by a thin dielectric. The gate is biased to create a depletion well in a semiconductor, and photo-generated carriers are collected in the well. The gate voltage is sensed to measure the accumulated charge. Preferably the accumulated charge is not sensed directly from the gate, but the gate output is repeatedly averaged with another capacitor, so that the output of the imager is sensed as an average over a number of read cycles, which provides a greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio. Preferably an array of the MIS detection devices is formed in a thin layer of HgCdTe, which is bonded to a silicon substrate containing a corresponding array of the averaging capacitors with addressing and output connections, and via holes through the HgCdTe are used to connect each detection device to its corresponding averaging capacitor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4257057 (1981-03-01), Cheung et al.
patent: 4360732 (1982-11-01), Chapman et al.
patent: 4388532 (1983-06-01), Garcia
patent: 4395736 (1983-07-01), Fraleux
patent: 4518863 (1985-05-01), Fukuoka et al.
Chapman et al., "Monolithic HgCdTe Charge Transfer Device Infrared Imaging Arrays", Jan. 1980, IEEE Electron Devices, vol. ED-27, pp. 134-145, No. 1.
Stelzer et al., "Mercury Cadmium Telluride as an Infrared Detector Material," Oct. 1969, IEEE Electron Devices, vol. ED-16, No. 10, pp. 880-884.
Lewis, Jr. Adam J.
Tew Claude E.
Heiting Leo
Hoel Carlton
Nelms David C.
Sharp Mel
Texas Instruments Incorporated
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