Photoconductive camera tube and methods of manufacture

Claim 2

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said semiconductor is copper-doped germanium.

Claim 3

The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including means for refrigerating said semiconductor to a temperature at least near the temperature of liquid nitrogen.

Claim 4

In a camera tube having a photoconductive target, means for generating an electron beam for scanning said target, and means for coupling a source of voltage to said target, the target comprising an extrinsic semiconductor wafer of a predetermined effective polarity type at regions internal to said wafer, said wafer being provided with a surface which is at least as strongly the same polarity type as the interior of said wafer, said tube providing a drift space between said means for generating an electron beam and said target, and an electron multiplier for receiving electrons returning through said drift space from the direction of said target and for driving an output signal therefrom.

Claim 5

An infraRed photoconductive camera tube comprising a photoconductive target, means for providing an electron beam for scanning said target, means for coupling a voltage to said target, said target comprising an extrinsic semiconductor wafer effectively of p-type formed from copper-doped germanium, said wafer being provided with a surface in the direction of said electron beam which is at least as strongly p-type as the interior of said wafer, and means for refrigerating said wafer to a temperature at least near the temperature of liquid nitrogen to raise the dark current resistivity of said target, whereby said camera tube is responsive to infrared radiation.

Claim 6

In a camera tube having a photoconductive target, means for generating an electron beam for scanning said target, and means for coupling a voltage to said target, said target comprising an extrinsic semiconductor wafer of a predetermined effective polarity type at regions internal to said wafer, said wafer having a surface potential in a surface-adjacent region at the electron beam side characterized by a minimized dipole barrier such that the passage of currents through said barrier between said electron beam side and said means for coupling a voltage to said target is not prevented.

Claim 7

An electron discharge device target comprising a relatively thin flat body of semiconductor material exposed on one side thereof to the discharge of electrons in said device, said semiconductor characterized as being a predetermined effective polarity type and provided with a surface adjacent region on the said side toward said discharge of electrons which is at least nearly as strongly of the same polarity type as the interior of said semiconductor, for decreasing cross currents near the surface thereof.

Claim 8

A radiant energy discharge device target electrode including a wafer of copper-doped germanium semiconductor which also includes donor doping material wherein the atmoic percentage of copper present is near the atomic percentage of donor material present so that the said semiconductor is effectively characterized as p-type, a given energy level of added copper energy states accepting electrons from a similar number of said donor states leaving at least a second copper energy level to which electrons may be excited, said donor material doping being selected from the group consisting of arsenic and antimony a surface-adjacent region of said wafer on one side of said target being at least as strongly p-type as said wafer.

Claim 9

The apparatus as recited in claim 9 further including means to refrigerate said wafer to at least near the temperature of liquid nitrogen.

Claim 10

A radiant energy discharge device target comprising a thin body of semiconductor material which is characterized as being effectively p-type semiconductor, said body of semiconductor being provided with a surface adjacent region which is p-type to at least the same degree and having a surface potential which presents a reduced barrier to p-type carriers, whereby electrical conduction transversely through said body is not impeded by a barrier potential, but conduction along said surface is impeded.

Claim 11

A camera tube target comprising a semiconductor body characterized as being a predetermined polarity type having a first side for positioning towards a tube electron beam and a second side for receiving the radiation to be detected, a surface-adjacent region of said first side being at least as strongly the same polarity type as the interior of said body, and a diffused metal contact area on said second side through which detected radiation passes.

Claim 12

The target as recited in claim 12 wherein said metal is copper.

Claim 13

The target of claim 13 wherein said semiconductor contains copper impurity.