US3887936A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Radiation sensitive solid state devices
Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1973-09-18
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Granted: 1975-06-03
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Expires: 1993-09-18
Abstract
Abstract A solid state radiation sensitive device is described employing JFETs as the sensitive elements. Two terminal construction is achieved by using a common conductor to capacitively couple to the JFET gate and to one of the source and drain connections.
Inventors
- 👤 John Martin Shannon
- 👤 John Ernest Ralph
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:40
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F55/00; H10F55/10; H10F55/15; H10F55/155; H01; H01J; H01J1/00; H01J1/02; H01J1/34; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/28; H10F30/283; H10F30/2843; H10F30/285; H10F30/2863; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/107; H10F39/12; H10F39/196; H10F39/197; H10P; H10P95/00; H01J2201/00; H01J2201/34; H01J2201/342; H01J2201/3421; H01J2201/3423
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
282 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device comprising a semiconductor body having a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type, at least one radiation sensitive element being present in the semiconductor layer and comprising a junction field effect transistor structure, said junction field effect transistor structure comprising source and drain connections at positions spaced apart laterally of the semiconductor layer whereby in the layer portion situated intermediate said connections a substantially lateral flow of charge carriers characteristic of said one conductivity type can occur in a channel region, at least one of said source and drain connections being present at a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode situated at or adjacent said first surface in the proximity of the channel region and forming a rectifying junction with the semiconductor layer material of the one conductivity type whereby said lateral current flow in the channel region is determined in accordance with the extent of a depletion region associated with and extending into the layer from said rectifying junction, said gate electrode being connected via a storage capacitor present at or adjacent to said first surface to the said one of the source and drain connections, a first terminal connection forming a common connection to said one of the source and drain connections and to the side of the capacitor remote from the gate electrode, and a second terminal connection to the other of said source and drain connections, means being present to permit incident radiation to be absorbed in the semiconductor layer in the vicinity of the channel region for generation of free charge carriers in order to influence the extent of a depletion region associated with the gate electrode rectifying junction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
282 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device comprising a semiconductor body having a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type, at least one radiation sensitive element being present in the semiconductor layer and comprising a junction field effect transistor structure, said junction field effect transistor structure comprising source and drain connections at positions spaced apart laterally of the semiconductor layer whereby in the layer portion situated intermediate said connections a substantially lateral flow of charge carriers characteristic of said one conductivity type can occur in a channel region, at least one of said source and drain connections being present at a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode situated at or adjacent said first surface in the proximity of the channel region and forming a rectifying junction with the semiconductor layer material of the one conductivity type whereby said lateral current flow in the channel region is determined in accordance with the extent of a depletion region associated with and extending into the layer from said rectifying junction, said gate electrode being connected via a storage capacitor present at or adjacent to said first surface to the said one of the source and drain connections, a first terminal connection forming a common connection to said one of the source and drain connections and to the side of the capacitor remote from the gate electrode, and a second terminal connection to the other of said source and drain connections, means being present to permit incident radiation to be absorbed in the semiconductor layer in the vicinity of the channel region for generation of free charge carriers in order to influence the extent of a depletion region associated with the gate electrode rectifying junction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
282 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device comprising a semiconductor body having a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type, at least one radiation sensitive element being present in the semiconductor layer and comprising a junction field effect transistor structure, said junction field effect transistor structure comprising source and drain connections at positions spaced apart laterally of the semiconductor layer whereby in the layer portion situated intermediate said connections a substantially lateral flow of charge carriers characteristic of said one conductivity type can occur in a channel region, at least one of said source and drain connections being present at a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode situated at or adjacent said first surface in the proximity of the channel region and forming a rectifying junction with the semiconductor layer material of the one conductivity type whereby said lateral current flow in the channel region is determined in accordance with the extent of a depletion region associated with and extending into the layer from said rectifying junction, said gate electrode being connected via a storage capacitor present at or adjacent to said first surface to the said one of the source and drain connections, a first terminal connection forming a common connection to said one of the source and drain connections and to the side of the capacitor remote from the gate electrode, and a second terminal connection to the other of said source and drain connections, means being present to permit incident radiation to be absorbed in the semiconductor layer in the vicinity of the channel region for generation of free charge carriers in order to influence the extent of a depletion region associated with the gate electrode rectifying junction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
282 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device comprising a semiconductor body having a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type, at least one radiation sensitive element being present in the semiconductor layer and comprising a junction field effect transistor structure, said junction field effect transistor structure comprising source and drain connections at positions spaced apart laterally of the semiconductor layer whereby in the layer portion situated intermediate said connections a substantially lateral flow of charge carriers characteristic of said one conductivity type can occur in a channel region, at least one of said source and drain connections being present at a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode situated at or adjacent said first surface in the proximity of the channel region and forming a rectifying junction with the semiconductor layer material of the one conductivity type whereby said lateral current flow in the channel region is determined in accordance with the extent of a depletion region associated with and extending into the layer from said rectifying junction, said gate electrode being connected via a storage capacitor present at or adjacent to said first surface to the said one of the source and drain connections, a first terminal connection forming a common connection to said one of the source and drain connections and to the side of the capacitor remote from the gate electrode, and a second terminal connection to the other of said source and drain connections, means being present to permit incident radiation to be absorbed in the semiconductor layer in the vicinity of the channel region for generation of free charge carriers in order to influence the extent of a depletion region associated with the gate electrode rectifying junction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulating layer is present at said first surface of the semiconductor layer and extends on the gate electrode, the storage capacitor being Formed by the capacitive connection of the gate electrode via the insulating layer to the said one of the source and drain connections by a conductive layer which overlies at least a part of the insulating layer present on the gate electrode, the first terminal connection being applied to said conductive layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type is present on a semiconductor substrate of the opposite conductivity type, said first surface of the semiconductor layer being the surface remote from the substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 3, wherein means are present for connecting the other of said source and drain connections to the substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at a second surface of the semiconductor layer situated opposite the first surface a conductive layer is present which forms a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer material of the one conductivity type.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 5, wherein means are present for connecting the other of said source and drain connections to the conductive layer at the second surface of the semiconductor layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conductive layer at the second surface of the semiconductor layer is of such a material and thickness as to allow passage of incident radiation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gate electrode consists of a surface region of the opposite conductivity type in the semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gate electrode consists of a metal layer applied on the first surface of the semiconductor layer and forming a Schottky junction with the layer material of the one conductivity type.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of radiation sensitive elements are present in the semiconductor layer, each element comprising a junction field effect transistor structure having a gate electrode which surrounds the said one of the source and drain connections.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 10, and consisting of a solid state imaging device having means capable of yielding separate electrical output signals indicative of the radiation absorbed in the channel region of each junction field effect transistor structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
A solid state imaging device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first terminal connections associated with the plurality of junction field effect transistor structures are individually provided and the second terminal connections associated with said plurality of junction field effect transistor structures are provided as a common terminal connection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 10 and consisting of a solid state image conversion and/or display device, wherein the first terminal connections associated with the plurality of junction field effect transistor structures are provided as a first common terminal connection and the second terminal connections associated with the plurality of junction field effect transistor structures are provided as a second common terminal connection.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
88 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 13 and consisting of a solid state image intensifier, wherein for each radiation sensitive element electroluminescent means are situated in the series connection between the said one of the source and drain connections and the first common terminal connection, the output of each electroluminescent means being determined in accordance with the current flow in the channel region of the associated junction field effect transistor structure when applying a potential difference between the first and Second common terminal connections.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
56 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electroluminescent means each comprise a portion of a semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type, the drain connections of the plurality of junction field effect transistor structures being present at the first surface and formed by said semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
74 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 15, wherein an insulating layer is present on the first surface and overlies the gate electrodes of the junction field effect transistor structures, the semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type forming the drain connections at openings in the insulating layer and further extending on the insulating layer above the gate electrodes to form the capacitive connections between the gate electrodes and the drain connections.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first terminal connections associated with each junction field effect transistor structure comprise metal layer portions on the surface of the semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type, said metal layer portions being situated above the drain connections and being interconnected to form a first common terminal connection by further metal layer portions present on the surface of the semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 17, wherein said metal layer portions situated on the semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type above the drain connections form radiation emissive Schottky junctions with the semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
68 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electroluminescent means each comprise a surface region of the opposite conductivity type extending in the semiconductor layer, the drain connections of the plurality of junction field effect transistor structures being present adjacent the first surface and formed by the surface regions of the opposite conductivity type, each drain connection also constituting a radiation emissive p-n junction.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
145 words
A solid state image intensifier as claimed in claim 19, wherein an insulating layer is present on the first surface and overlies the gate electrodes of the junction field effect transistor structures, a plurality of openings being present in the insulating layer where said regions of the opposite conductivity type extend at the first surface, a metal layer forming contact to said regions of the opposite conductivity type in said openings and further extending on the insulating layer above the gate electrodes to form the capacitive connections between the gate electrodes and the drain connections, the metal layer constituting the first terminal connections of the junction field effect transistor structures which connections are interconnected by the metal layer as a first common terminal, the metal layer being of such a material and thickness as to permit transmission of the radiation emitted by the p-n junctions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
93 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 13 and consisting of a solid state imaging active photocathode, wherein the semiconductor material of the layer is of n-type conductivity and for each radiation sensitive element the said one connection at the first surface is the drain connection of the junction field effect transistor structure, said drain connections each being formed by p-type semiconductor material and constituting injecting connections for injection of electrons into the p-type semiconductor material, means being present for permitting injected electrons to emerge from the p-type semiconductor material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
84 words
A solid state photocathode as claimed in claim 21, wherein an insulating layer is present on the one surface and overlies the gate electrodes of the junction field effect transistor structures, a plurality of openings being present in the insulating layer, A layer of p-type semiconductor material extending in said openings and forming the electron injecting drain connections, said p-type layer further extending on the insulating layer above the gate electrodes to form the capacitive connections between the gate electrodes and the drain connections.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
70 words
A solid state photocathode as claimed in claim 22, wherein the first terminal connections of the junction field effect transistor structures comprise metal layer portions situated on the surface of the p-type semiconductor layer in the proximity of the electron injecting drain connections, said metal layer portions being interconnected to form a first common terminal connection by further metal layer portions present on the surface of the p-type semiconductor layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
76 words
A solid state photocathode as claimed in claim 23, wherein surface portions of the p-type semiconductor layer situated opposite the electron injecting connections are coated with a material reducing the work function of electrons, the coating and the p-type semiconductor material being such that the work function of the coating applied is substantially equal to or less than the distance between the Fermi level and the bottom of the conduction band in the p-type semiconductor material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
87 words
A radiation sensitive solid state device as claimed in claim 13 and consisting of a solid state image intensifier, wherein for each radiation sensitive element electroluminescent means are situated in the series connection between the other of said source and drain connections and the second common terminal connection, the output of each electroluminescent means being determined in accordance with the current flow in the channel region of the associated junction field effect transistor structure when applying a potential difference between the first and second common terminal connections.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |