1983-07-29
1987-02-03
Sikes, William L.
H01L 2714, H01L 3100
Patent
active
046411674
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a high-sensitivity, high-speed semiconductor optoelectro transducer which presents its features particularly in infrared to far infrared regions.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
Heretofore, there have been proposed infrared ray and far infrared ray detectors employing a thermocouple and a photoconductive cell but they have the defects of poor sensitivity and low operating speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to obviate such defects of the prior art and has for its object to provide a semiconductor optoelectro transducer which is highly sensitive and operable at high speed in infrared to far infrared regions.
The semiconductor optoelectro transducer of the present invention includes a channel region of a low impurity density semiconductor of one conductivity type or intrinsic semiconductor, two main electrodes provided in contact with the channel for flowing a main current and gate regions provided in the channel region in a manner not to close a main current path; an element, which is excited by light of longer wavelength than that of light corresponding to the energy of the energy gap of the channel region to form an impurity level, is added to the semiconductor of the channel region to permit a portion of the channel region to receive light; and a depletion layer near the gates in the channel region is controlled by the quantity of light incident on the channel, the two electrodes and voltage applied to at least one of the gates.
The semiconductor optoelectro transducer of the present invention possesses the following advantages that are unobtainable with conventional bipolar transistors and photo transistors. That is,
(1) The device of the present invention is high in sensitivity.
(2) The device of the present invention is small in gate resistance and high in operating speed since the gate region is a p.sup.+ (or n.sup.+) layer of high impurity density. Further, by an external gate resistor R.sub.G connected to the gate, the operating speed can be adjusted.
(3) The device of the present invention has low noise and is operable not only at room temperature but also at low temperature. The device of the present invention is a semiconductor optoelectro transducer infrared and far infrared rays for which is a three-terminal device of high speed and high sensitivity, and hence it is of great inductrial value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1(a) is a sectional view of a photo detector of the present invention; FIG. 1(B) is a sectional view of another embodiment for a photo detector;
FIG. 2(A) is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the semiconductor optoelectro transducer of the present invention and showing its circuit and current-voltage characteristics obtained when it is irradiated by infrared or far infrared rays;
FIGS. 2(B) and (C) are each similar to FIG. 2(A), and show other embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 3(A) is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3(B) is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the invention which is similar to that of FIG. 3(A);
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a still further embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 6(A), 6(B), 6(C) and 6(D) are sectional views of static induction thyristors included in the photo detector of the present invention;
FIG. 7(A) is a circuit diagram for the embodiments of FIGS. 6(A) through 6(D);
FIG. 7(B) is a curve showing the current-voltage characteristics for the circuit in FIG. 7(A);
FIG. 7(C) is a circuit diagram which also shows the operation of the embodiments of FIGS. 6(A) through 6(D), connected in a different manner;
FIG. 7(D) is a curve showing the current-voltage characteristics for the circuit of FIG. 7(C);
FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) are diagrams showing examples in which the packaging case of the semiconductor optoelectro transducer is irradiated by infrared and far infrared rays;
FIG. 9(A) is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the invention having
REFERENCES:
patent: 4497109 (1985-02-01), Huber et al.
"Semiconductor Research Foundation"
Sikes William L.
Wise Robert E.
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