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US3560755A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

High sensitivity radiation detector

Assignee: CAMPAGNIE GENERALE D ELECTRICI
•
Filing: 1969-04-01
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Granted: 1971-02-02
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Expires: 1989-04-01
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Abstract

Abstract A photodetector diode operating with avalanche characteristics is energized through a regulator which, when the temperature of this diode varies, compensates for this variation by acting upon the energizing voltage to the diode. A reference diode having electrical characteristics equivalent to those of the detector diode and being thermally coupled to this detector diode furnishes for this purpose a reference signal to which the energizing voltage of the detector diode is coordinated by means of a differential amplifier and by means of the regulator.

Inventors

  • 👤 Roger Blaise
  • 👤 Gerard Peres

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 16:17
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J1/00; G01J1/42; G01J1/44; G01T; G01T1/00; G01T1/16; G01T1/24; G01T1/248; H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/95; H10F77/953; H10F77/959

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
Radiation detector comprising: a photosensitive detector diode biased to operate with avalanche characteristics when it receives the radiation to be detected; a reference diode thermally coupled to said detector diode and having a thermal sensitivity approximately equal to that of said detector diode, said reference diode being effectively isolated from the radiation to be detected; bias voltage means for providing a bias voltage reversely biasing said detector diode; and regulator means responsive to the output of said reference diode for varying said bias voltage applied to said detector diode in a sense appropriate to compensate for variations in output signal due to temperature variations of said detector diode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 108 words
Radiation detector comprising: a photosensitive detector diode biased to operate with avalanche characteristics when it receives the radiation to be detected; a reference diode thermally coupled to said detector diode and having a thermal sensitivity approximately equal to that of said detector diode, said reference diode being effectively isolated from the radiation to be detected; bias voltage means for providing a bias voltage reversely biasing said detector diode; and regulator means responsive to the output of said reference diode for varying said bias voltage applied to said detector diode in a sense appropriate to compensate for variations in output signal due to temperature variations of said detector diode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 102 words
Detector according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned regulator means includes a voltage regulator connected between said bias voltage means and said detector diode for controlling the level of said bias voltage and a comparator having a pair of input terminals and furnishing an output signal to said voltage regulator proportional to the voltages being present on the two input terminals thereof, one of said terminals receiving the output signal of said reference diode, and the other terminal being connected to the output of said voltage regulator so as to bring said bias voltage to a value equal to said output signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 12 words
Detector according to claim 2, wherein said comparator comprises a differential amplifier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
Detector according to claim 1, wherein said reference diode is of the same type as said detector diode and is likewise inversely biased.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 48 words
Detector according to claim 4, wherein said reference diode is connected to said bias voltage means to receive a current essentially independently of temperature and the aforesaid output signal thereof is constituted by the difference in potential between the output of said bias voltage means and ground potential.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 36 words
Detector according to claim 5, wherein said detector diode and said reference diode are connected to ground potential and said reference diode is connected through a variable resistance to the output of said bias voltage means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
Detector according to claim 1, wherein said detector diode is connected in series with a modulator to said source of bias voltage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 18 words
Detector according to claim 1, wherein said detector and reference diodes are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
Detector according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions of said reference diode are greater than those of said detector diode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 107 words
Radiation detector comprising: a photosensitive detector diode; bias voltage means connected to said detector diode to bias said detector diode to operation with avalanche characteristics; a reference diode thermally coupled to said detector diode and having a thermal sensitivity approximately equal to that of said detector diode, said reference diode being effectively isolated from the radiation to be detected and being connected to the output of said bias voltage means; and regulator means connected between said bias voltage means and said detector diode for varying the operating point of said detector diode in response to variation of the output of said reference diode due to temperature variations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 107 words
Radiation detector comprising: a photosensitive detector diode; bias voltage means connected to said detector diode to bias said detector diode to operation with avalanche characteristics; a reference diode thermally coupled to said detector diode and having a thermal sensitivity approximately equal to that of said detector diode, said reference diode being effectively isolated from the radiation to be detected and being connected to the output of said bias voltage means; and regulator means connected between said bias voltage means and said detector diode for varying the operating point of said detector diode in response to variation of the output of said reference diode due to temperature variations.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
Detector according to claim 10 wherein said detector diode and said reference diode are formed as an integrated element on a common substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
Detector according to claim 11 wherein the dimensions of said reference diode are greater than those of said detector diode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 62 words
Detector according to claim 10 wherein said regulator means includes a voltage regulator connected between said bias voltage means and detector diode, and a comparator having a first input connected to the output of said reference diode and a second input connected to the output of said voltage regulator, the output of said comparator being connected in cOntrol of said voltage regulator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
Detector according to claim 13 wherein said reference diode is connected through a variable resistance directly to the output of said bias voltage means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 18 words
Detector according to claim 10 wherein a modulator is connected between said regulator means and said detector diode.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2846591A Cited
US3268739A Cited
US3430106A Cited
US3452206A Cited
US3463928A Cited
US3466448A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1974-02-01 1974-08-03 1975-02-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1978-02-01 1978-08-03 1979-02-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1982-02-01 1982-08-03 1983-02-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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