Apparatus for sensing radiation and providing electrical readout

Claim 2

A radiation sensing device comprising a substrate of semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a major surface, a conducting member overlying a portion of a region of said substrate adjacent said major surface and in insulating relationship therewith, a voltage means connected in circuit between said conducting member and said substrate for providing a voltage of one value between said conducting member and said substrate to deplete said portion of majority charge carriers, said substrate being maintained at a fixed potential in relation to said one value of voltage, means for exposing said substrate to radiation whereby minority carriers generated in said portion are stored therein, means for collapsing said voltage to another value for an interval of time to inject said stored carriers into said substrate and thereafter reestablishing substantially said one value of voltage, circuit means connected between said conducting member and said substrate, whereby charge stored in said portion is driven out of said portion into said substrate and a current is caused to flow in said circuit means, said circuit means including means to provide a signal which is the integral of said current flow.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 in which said circuit means includes an integrating capacitor connected between said conducting member and said voltage means.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 in which said circuit means includes an integrating capacitor having one electrode connected to said substrate and another electrode connected to said voltage means.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 in which said voltage means includes a voltage source of said one value having one terminal connected to said another electrode of said integrating capacitor and to said conducting member through a first switching means and having another terminal connected to said conducting member through a second switching means, means for rendering said first switching means conductive when said conducting member is lowered in voltage to said other value and nonconductive thereafter, and for rendering said second switching means conductive to connect said source of voltage in circuit to return said conducting member to substantially said one value of voltage.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 in which said circuit means includes a current transformer the primary of which is included in said current flow circuit.

Claim 7

In combination, a substrate of semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a major surface, a plurality of first conductive plates, each overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, a plurality of second conductive plates, each adjacent a respective first conductive plate to form a plurality of pairs of plates, said pairs of plates being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each of said second conductive plates overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a second conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, each coupled to a respective first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor, a plurality of column conductor lines, the second conductive plates in each of said columns connected to a respective column conductor line, a plurality of row conductor lines, the first conductive plates in each of said rows connected to a respective row conductor line, a first voltage means for providing a first voltage between said row conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective first portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, a second voltage means connected in circuit between said column conductor lines and said substrate for providing a second voltage between said column conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective second portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, said substrate maintained at a fixed potential in relation to said second voltage means, means for exposing said substrate to radiation whereby charge is stored in said first and second portions of said substrate, first means for collapsing and reestablishing said first voltage on each of said row conductor lines in sequence during a respective first period of time, second means for collapsing and reestablishing said second voltage on each of said column conductor lines in sequence during a respective second period of time shorter than said first period of time, each of said second periods included within said first period, circuit means connected between each of said column conductor lines in sequence and said substrate during a respective second period, whereby charge stored in each of said second semiconductor capacitors is driven out of said respective second capacitors in sequence into said substrate and a respective current is caused to flow in said circuit means, said circuit means including means providing successive outputs, each representing an integral of a respective current flow.

Claim 8

In combination, a substrate of semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a major surface, a plurality of first conductive plates, each overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, a plurality of second conductive plates, each adjacent a respective first conductive plate to form a plurality of pairs of plates, said pairs of plates being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each of said second conductive plates overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a second conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, each coupled to a respective first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor, a plurality of column conductor lines, the second conductive plates in each of said columns connected to a respective column conductor line, a plurality of row conductor lines, the first conductive plates in each of said rows connected to a respective row conductor line, a first voltage means for providing a first voltage between said row conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective first portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, a second voltage means connected in circuit between said column conductor lines and said substrate for providing a second voltage between said column conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective second portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, said substrate maintained at a fixed potential in relation to said second voltage means, means for exposing said substrate to radiation whereby charge is stored in said first and second portions of said substrate, first means for collapsing and reestablishing said first voltage on each of said row conductor lines in sequence during a respective first period of time, second means for collapsing and reestablishing said second voltage on each of said column conductor lines in sequence during a respective second period of time shorter than said first period of time, each of said second periods included within said first period, circuit means connected between each of said column conductor lines in sequence and said substrate during a respective second period, whereby charge stored in each of said second semiconductor capacitors is driven out of said respective second capacitors in sequence into said substrate and a respective current is caused to flow in said circuit means, said circuit means including means providing successive outputs, each representing an integral of a respective current flow.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 in which Said circuit means includes an integrating capacitor connected between said conducting member and said voltage means.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6 in which said circuit means includes a current transformer in said current flow circuit.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 6 in which is provided means for successively sampling said outputs to provide an electrical output varying in time in accordance with the variation in amplitude of said samples.

Claim 12

In combination, a substrate of semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a major surface, a plurality of said conductive plates, each overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, a plurality of second conductive plates, each adjacent a respective first conductive plate to form a plurality of pairs of plates, said pairs of plates being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each of said second conductive plates overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a second conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, each coupled to a respective first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor, a plurality of column conductor lines, the second conductive plates in each of said columns connected to a respective column conductor line, the column conductor lines arranged into a plurality of consecutively numbered sets, each set including the same number of consecutively number lines, a plurality of consecutively numbered terminals equal in number to the number of column lines in a set, each column line of a set connected through a respective column switch to a correspondingly numbered terminal, a plurality of row conductor lines, the first conductive plates in each of said rows connected to a respective row conductor line, a first voltage means for providing a first voltage between said row conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective first portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, a second voltage means connected in circuit between each set of said column conductor lines and said substrate for providing a second voltage between said column conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective second portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, said substrate maintained at a fixed potential in relation to said second voltage means, means for exposing said substrate to radiation whereby charge is stored in said first and second portions of said substrate, first means for collapsing and reestablishing said first voltage on each of said row conductor lines in sequence during a respective first period of time, means for actuating the column switches of each set during a respective second period of time whereby the column lines of each set are connected in turn to said terminals, a plurality of circuit means each connected between a respective terminal and said second voltage means, second means for collapsing and reestablishing said second voltage on said terminals during said second periods of time, whereby charge stored in the second semiconductor capacitors of each set is simultaneously driven out of said respective second capacitors into said substrate and currents are caused to flow simultaneously in each of said circuit means, each of said circuit means including means for integrating each of said current flows with respect to time to provide a respective output of sequentially occurring levels of voltage.

Claim 13

In combination, a substrate of semiconductor material of one conductivity type having a major surface, a plurality of said conductive plates, each overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, a plurality of second conductive plates, each adjacent a respective first conductive plate to form a plurality of pairs of plates, said pairs of plates being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each of said second conductive plates overlying and in insulated relationship to said major surface and forming a second conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor with said substrate, each coupled to a respective first conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitor, a plurality of column conductor lines, the second conductive plates in each of said columns connected to a respective column conductor line, the column conductor lines arranged into a plurality of consecutively numbered sets, each set including the same number of consecutively number lines, a plurality of consecutively numbered terminals equal in number to the number of column lines in a set, each column line of a set connected through a respective column switch to a correspondingly numbered terminal, a plurality of row conductor lines, the first conductive plates in each of said rows connected to a respective row conductor line, a first voltage means for providing a first voltage between said row conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective first portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, a second voltage means connected in circuit between each set of said column conductor lines and said substrate for providing a second voltage between said column conductor lines and said substrate to deplete respective second portions of said substrate lying thereunder of majority charge carriers, said substrate maintained at a fixed potential in relation to said second voltage means, means for exposing said substrate to radiation whereby charge is stored in said first and second portions of said substrate, first means for collapsing and reestablishing said first voltage on each of said row conductor lines in sequence during a respective first period of time, means for actuating the column switches of each set during a respective second period of time whereby the column lines of each set are connected in turn to said terminals, a plurality of circuit means each connected between a respective terminal and said second voltage means, second means for collapsing and reestablishing said second voltage on said terminals during said second periods of time, whereby charge stored in the second semiconductor capacitors of each set is simultaneously driven out of said respective second capacitors into said substrate and currents are caused to flow simultaneously in each of said circuit means, each of said circuit means including means for integrating each of said current flows with respect to time to provide a respective output of sequentially occurring levels of voltage.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 10 in which is provided means for successively sampling the levels of each of said outputs to provide a respective video signal varying in time in accordance with the variation in amplitude of the samples thereof.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 in which is provided means for multiplexing said outputs to provide a composite output.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 10 in which each of said sets of column lines consists of two column lines.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 10 in which each of said sets of column lines consists of three column lines.

Claim 18

The combination of calim 13 in which the first and second semiconductor capacitors of the odd numbered columns are adapted to receive radiation in one band of wavelengths and in which the even numbered columns of first and second semiconductor capacitors are adapted to received radiation in another band of wavelength.

Claim 19

The combination of calim 13 in which the first and second semiconductor capacitors of the odd numbered columns are adapted to receive radiation in one band of wavelengths and in which the even numbered columns of first and second semiconductor capacitors are adapted to received radiation in another band of wavelength.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 14 in which the first and second semiconductor capacitors associated with the first column line of each set are provided with first filters which pass radiation in a first band of wavelengths, in which the first and second semiconductor capacitors associated with the second column line of each set are provided with second filters which pass radiation in a second band of wavelengths, and in which the first and second semiconductors capacitors associated with the third column line of each set are provided with third filters which pass radiation in a third band of wavelengths.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 16 in which said first, second and third filters are filters each of which passes wavelengths of light corresponding to a respective one of the three primary colors of red, green and blue.