Abstract An electronic camera utilizing a solid-state light sensitive storage device comprised of a sheet of semiconductor material having a large number of very small electrically isolated metal spots on one surface of the sheet each forming a rectifying, capacitive junction of the type referred to as a Schottky barrier. An electron beam is scanned over a surface upon which the metal spots are formed to reverse bias and capacitively charge the rectifying junctions. A light image focused on the other side of the semiconductor slice discharges each discrete capacitor in proportion to the intensity of the light at the location of said discrete capacitor. The current required to recharge each capacitor as the electron beam is scanned produces an output voltage across a load resistance. The light sensitive storage device is fabricated by properly preparing the surface of the substrate and then evaporatively depositing a layer of the metal, e.g. platinum or gold, at a temperature such that the metal nucleates to form a very thin, discontinuous film having discrete electrically isolated microscopic globules.
The photosensitive storage device defined in claim 1 wherein each discrete particle is in rectifying contact with the semiconductor sheet and the dielectric layer of the capacitor is formed by the depletion region in the semiconductor sheet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
47 words
The photosensitive storage device defined in claim 2 wherein the semiconductor sheet is selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide and the metal is selected from the group consisting of the transition metals of the group VIII and the metals of group IB.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
The photosensitive storage system comprising a planar array of capacitive elements, one plate of all of the capacitive elements being formed by a common semiconductor sheet and the other plate consisting essentially of a discontinuous metal film that defines a plurality of randomly distributed metal particles, each discrete particle of said film forming the other Plate of one of said array of capacitive elements, means for scanning the capacitive elements with an electron beam, and means for directing a light image onto the semiconductor sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The photosensitive storage system defined in claim 4 wherein each metal film is in rectifying contact with the semiconductor sheet and the dielectric layer of the capacitor is formed by the depletion region in the semiconductor sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The photosensitive storage system defined in claim 5 wherein the semiconductor sheet is selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide.