Photoelectric microcircuit components monolythically integrated with zone plate optics

Claim 2

The device of claim 1 whereby said photoelectric element comprises a PN junction in a semiconducting layer, and said transparent solid layer is an insulating layer adjacent to said semiconducting layer, said zone plate located on the surface of said transparent insulating layer which is spaced from said semiconducting layer.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 whereby said energy conversion consists of conversion of electric energy into radiation, and said photoelectric element is a solid-state light emitter.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 whereby said energy conversion consists of modulating the intensity of said radiant mode by an electric signal and said photoelectric element is a solid-state device whose transparency for said radiant mode is modulated by said electric signal.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 whereby said energy conversion consists in conversion of incident radiant energy into an electrical signal, and said photoelectric element is a photocell.

Claim 6

The device of claim 6 whereby the innermost zone of said zone plate is opaque and shields said photocell against direct, undiffracted illumination of normal incidence.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1 whereby at least a portion of said zone plate is part of an electrical circuit.

Claim 8

The device of claim 8 whereby the innermost zone of said zone plate is electrically conducting and is connected in an electrical circuit.

Claim 9

The device of claim 9 whereby said innermost conducting zone of said zone plate is an electrical component of said photoelectric element.

Claim 10

The device of claim 10 whereby said transparent solid layer is an insulator which spaces said zone plate from a semiconducting substrate, said innermost electrically conducting zone is electrically connected to induce a charge layer at the surface of said semiconductor, means to connect said induced charge layer into an electric circuit, said induced layer constituting an integral part of said photoelectric element.

Claim 11

An integrated electro-optical structure for transmitting information from a first electric circuit to a second electric circuit by means of radiation, said structure comprising a transparent solid layer containing a zone plate optics designed for said radiation; a solid light emitting element inserted in said first circuit and abutting one surface of said solid transparent layer substantially at the optical axis of said zone plate optics; a solid state photocell inserted in said second circuit and abutting the other surface of said solid transparent layer substantially at the optical axis of said zone plate; said zone plate and said solid transparent layer dimensioned to focus light emitted from said solid light emitting element on said solid-state photocell, thereby affecting its electrical properties; said solid light emitting element, said transparent solid layer and said solid-state photocell in intimate inseparable combination.

Claim 12

An integrated electro optical structure for focusing and modulating the intensity of substantially monochromatic coherent radiation, said device including a semiconducting body substantially transparent to said radiation, means for applying electric fields to said semiconducting body for increasing its absorption to said radiation, zone plate optics for diffracting said radiation, elements of said zone plate optics being also elements of said means for applying electric fields to said semiconducting body.

Claim 13

The process of integration of a semiconducting photocell with a zone plate optics into an intimate inseparable combination, said process comprising the steps of producing a photosensitive element on the planar surface of a semiconducting body, coating said surface with a transparent layer of controlled thickness and depositing on said layer a zone plate optics dimensioned to focus incident monochromatic light on said photocell.

Claim 14

The process of integration of a semiconducting photocell with a zone plate optics into an intimate inseparable combination, said process comprising the steps of producing a photosensitive element on a surface of a semiconducting body, and depositing a zone plate optics on said semiconducting body dimensioned to focus incident monochromatic radiation on said photosensitive element, said radiation being of a wavelength to which said semiconducting body is transparent and said photosensitive element is responsive.

Claim 15

The process of integration of a semiconductive photoelectric element with a zone plate optics into an intimate inseparable combination, said process comprising the steps of producing said photoelectric element on the planar surface of a semiconducting body, coating said surface with a transparent layer of controlled thickness and depositing on said layer a zone plate optics dimensioned to focus monochromatic light with respect to the position of said photoelectric element.

Claim 16

The process of integration of a semiconductive photoelectric element with a zone plate optics into an intimate inseparable combination, said process comprising the steps of producing said photoelectric element on a surface of a semiconducting body, and depositing a zone plate optics on another surface of said semiconducting body dimensioned to focus monochromatic radiation with respect to the position of said photoelectric element, said radiation being of a wavelength to which said semiconducting body is transparent and for which said photoelectric element is active.