EP0485115A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electro-optical detector array and method of making the same
Assignee: Cincinnati Electronics Corp
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Filing: 1991-10-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-31
Abstract
Abstract Each diode of an indium antimonide electro-optical detector array on a dielectric backing transparent to optical energy to be detected includes a junction that less than about a half micron from the diode surface on which the energy is initially incident. The optical energy is incident on a P-type doped region prior to being incident on a bulk N-type doped region. Both P- and N-type doped regions of adjacent diodes are spaced from each other. Metal electrically connects the P-type doped regions together without interfering substantially with the incident optical energy. A multiplexer integrated circuit substrate extends parallel to the backing and includes an array of elements for selective readout of the electric property of the diodes. The elements and diodes have approximately the same topographical arrangement so that corresponding ones of the elements and diodes are aligned. An array of indium columns or bumps connects the corresponding aligned elements and diodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold A. Timlin
- 👤 Charles J. Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:51
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/18; H10F39/184; H10F39/1843; H10F99/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/977
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
An electro-optical detector comprising a dielectric mechanical support backing, an array of semiconductor diodes on said backing, said diodes having an electrical property affected by optical energy incident thereon and including a junction separating first and second differently doped regions, said detector being characterized by the backing being transparent to optical energy to be detected, with said first and second regions being positioned on the backing and arranged so that the optical energy to be detected propagates through the backing to be incident on the first region prior to being incident on the second region and said diodes being configured as islands on the backing so adjacent ones of the diodes have both of said regions thereof spaced from each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
An electro-optical detector comprising a dielectric mechanical support backing, an array of semiconductor diodes on said backing, said diodes having an electrical property affected by optical energy incident thereon and including a junction separating first and second differently doped regions, the detector being characterized by the backing being transparent to optical energy to be detected, with said first and second regions being positioned on the backing and arranged so that the optical energy to be detected propagates through the backing to be incident on the first region prior to being incident on the second region, wherein the second regions are formed of thinned bulk material, and the first regions are formed as layers on the bulk material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
An electro-optical detector comprising a dielectric mechanical support backing, a two-dimensional array of InSb semiconductor diodes on said backing, said diodes including a junction separating P- and N-doped regions, said detector being characterized by the backing being transparent to optical energy to be detected with said regions being positioned on the backing and arranged so that the optical energy to be detected propagates through the backing to be incident on the P-doped region prior to being incident on the N-doped region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The electro-optical detector of any of the preceding claims further including a metal electrode abutting against the backing electrically connecting the first regions together so as not to interfere substantially with the optical energy incident on the first region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The electro-optical detector of claim 4 wherein the diodes are arranged in rows and columns and the metal electrode is arranged as a grid of intersecting strips extending in mutually perpendicular directions or as a film having windows for enabling the optical energy to be detected to be incident on the first regions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The detector of any of the preceding claims wherein the first regions are made of a material and have a thickness such that charge carriers generated by optical energy absorbed in the first regions diffuse to the junction without substantial recombination of other charge carriers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The electro-optical detector of any of claims 1 or 3-6 wherein the second regions are formed from thinned bulk material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The detector of any of the previous claims wherein the first regions are formed as gaseously diffused bulk material or as ion-implanted layers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electro-optical detector of any of claims 1, 2 or 4-8 wherein said diodes are formed of InSb, the first regions being P-type, the second regions being N-type bulk material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
72 words
The electro-optical detector of any of the preceding claims further including a multiplexer integrated circuit substrate extending parallel to the backing and including an array of elements for selective readout of the electric property of the diodes, the elements and the diodes having approximately the same topographical arrangement so that corresponding ones of the elements and diodes are aligned, and an array of metal bumps connecting the corresponding aligned elements and diodes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electro-optical detector of any of claims 2-10 wherein said diodes are configured as islands on the backing so adjacent ones of the diodes have both regions thereof spaced from each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
182 words
The electro-optical detector of claim 11 as dependent on claims 4-10 or claim 4 as dependent on claim 1 wherein the semiconductor optical array of diodes is formed as P-N junctions on a bulk semiconductor of a second conductivity type close to a surface of the bulk semiconductor, each of the junctions being between the second conductivity type bulk semiconductor and semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, the electrode being formed by metallizing a portion of the semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, the array being joined to the backing by bonding the semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type to the backing so that an optical path subsists through the backing to at least a segment of the semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, the islands being formed by reducing the thickness of the bulk substrate while the semiconductor regions are bonded to the backing and by etching the reduced thickness bulk substrate so that each of the islands includes a corresponding region of the bulk semiconductor, a junction and one of the first conductivity type semiconductor regions.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of making a semiconductor optical detector array comprising forming an array of P-N junctions on a bulk semi-conductor of a first conductivity type close to a surface of the bulk semiconductor, each of the junctions being between the first conductivity type bulk semiconductor and semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type, metallizing a portion of the semiconductor regions, bonding the semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type of a transparent backing so that an optical path subsists through the backing to at least a segment of the semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type, reducing the thickness of the bulk substrate while the semiconductor regions are bonded to the backing, and etching the reduced thickness bulk substrate so that there is formed an array of semiconductor diode islands on the backing, each of the islands including a corresponding region of the bulk semiconductor, a junction and one of the second conductivity type semiconductor regions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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