Two phase charge-coupled semiconductor device

Claim 2

A semiconductor device which utilizes the generation and mobility of charges in depletion regions created at the surface of a semiconductor body to transmit information as collected charges comprising a semiconductor body, a nonuniform insulating layer on the surface of the body, said layer having a plurality of depressed, parallel, elongated troughs therein, adjacent troughs being offset in their elongated direction and serially interconnected to form a serpentine pattern, the insulating layer within the troughs having a castellated configuration with the castellations in any one trough being offset in the said elongated direction with respect to the castellations in an adjacent trough, an interdigitated pair of electrodes, each electrode of said pair having parallel fingers formed on the surface of the layer, the parallel fingers of one pair being parallel to the fingers of the other pair, the parallel fingers of each electrode of said pair of electrodes crossing said parallel troughs substantially perpendicular to said elongated direction and overlying a merlon and a crenel in each trough, and means for impressing pulsed, out of phase, overlapping voltages on said electrodes to alternately create and extinguish depletion regions in said body beneath the troughs to transport charges along a serpentine path through the body.

Claim 3

A semiconductor device which utilizes the mobility of charges in depletion regions created at the surface of a semiconductor body to transmit information as collected charges in bit form comprising a monolithic semiconductor body of uniform thickness, a charge injector coupled to the body, a contoured oxide layer on the surface of the body, said layer having a series of depressed, parallel, interconnected, elongated troughs having castellated beds, said troughs serially interconnected to form a serpentine pattern, the castellated beds of each of said troughs being offset from the castellated beds in an adjacent trough in their elongated direction, an interdigitated pair of electrodes each having parallel fingers and the fingers of one electrode being parallel to the fingers of the other and formed on the surface of the oxide layer and crossing a plurality of said troughs substantially perpendicular to said elongated direction and overlying a merlon and a crenel in each trough, means for impressing pulsed, out of phase, voltages on said electrodes to alternately create and extinguish layered depletion regions in said body beneath the troughs to transport charges along a serpentine path through the body, and means for sensing the transported charges which comprises a sense line deposited over the oxide layer, a diode coupled to said depletion regions and to said sense line and means for measuring current flow.

Claim 4

A semiconductor device which utilizes the mobility of charges in depletion regions created at the surface of a semiconductor body to transmit information as collected charges in bit form comprising a monolithic semiconductor body of uniform thickness, a charge injector coupled to the body, a contoured oxide layer on the surface of the body, said layer having a series of depressed, parallel, interconnected, elongated troughs having castellated beds, said troughs serially interconnected to form a serpentine pattern, the castellated beds of each of said troughs being offset from the castellated beds in an adjacent trough in their elongated direction, an interdigitated pair of electrodes each having parallel fingers and the fingers of one electrode being parallel to the fingers of the other and formed on the surface of the oxide layer and crossing a plurality of said troughs substantially perpendicular to said elongated direction and overlying a merlon and a crenel in each trough, means for impressing pulsed, out of phase, voltages on said electrodes to alternately create and extinguish layered depletion regions in said body beneath the troughs to transport charges along a serpentine path through the body, and means for sensing the transported charges which comprises a sense line deposited over the oxide layer, a diode coupled to said depletion regions and to said sense line and means for measuring current flow.