Charge-coupled circuits

Claim 2

In a two-phase charge coupled circuit, in combination: a semiconductor substrate; a row of charge storage electrodes capacitively coupled to said substrate, said row comprising successive groups, each with three electrodes, the third electrode of each group lying between the second electrode of that group and the first electrode of the next group; means for continuously maintaining the second electrode of each group at a direct voltage level V1 sufficient to permit a minority charge to accumulate in the substrate beneath each second electrode; means for applying to each first electrode of each group a phi 1 voltage which varies in value from VO to V2, where VO < V1 and V2 > V1, and where phi 1 is one phase of a two-phase voltage; and means for applying to each third electrode of each group a phi 2 voltage which varies in value from V00 to V02 and which is out-of-phase with the phi 1 voltage, where V00 < V1 and V02 > V1, and where phi 2 is the other phase of said two-phase voltage.

Claim 3

In a charge-coupled circuit as set forth in claim 1, further including means for interrupting said phi 2 voltage and applying instead to said third electrodes a direct voltage less than V1, whereby any charge present at a first electrode shuttles back and forth between that first electrode and the adjacent second electrode.

Claim 4

In a charge-coupled circuit as set forth in claim 1, further including means for photo-exciting said second electrodes for causing charge to accumulate under said second electrodes.

Claim 5

In a charge-coupled circuit as set forth in claim 3, said second electrodes comprising relatively thin polysilicon electrodes covered by a relatively thin, transparent insulating layer and said first and third electrodes each comprising metal electrodes individually capacitively coupled to a polysilicon electrode and to the substrate and said photo-excitation being applied through said polysilicon electrodes to said substrate.

Claim 6

In a two-phase operated, charge-coupled circuit, in combination: a substrate formed of semiconductor material at which charges may be stored; a plurality of electrode means adjacent to one another forming a row along which charges are to propagate, each such means comprising a pair of electrodes, one electrode formed of a semiconductor and spaced at least twice as far from the substrate as the other electrode of said pair, said other electrode comprising a metal which is spaced of the order of 1,000 A or less from the substrate and which overlaps the semiconductor electrode of the same pair and the semiconductor electrode of the next adjacent electrode means, said semiconductor electrode having a substantially larger area facing the substrate than the portion of the metal electrode closest to the substrate, each semiconductor electrode being directly connected to itS paired metal electrode; and means for applying one phase of a two-phase shift voltage to alternate electrode means and the second phase of the two-phase shift voltage to the other electrode means.

Claim 7

In a two-phase operated, charge-coupled circuit, in combination: a substrate formed of semiconductor material at which charges may be stored; a plurality of electrode means adjacent to one another forming a row along which charges are to propagate, each such means comprising a pair of electrodes, one electrode formed of a semiconductor and spaced at least twice as far from the substrate as the other electrode of said pair, said other electrode comprising a metal which is spaced of the order of 1,000 A or less from the substrate and which overlaps the semiconductor electrode of the same pair and the semiconductor electrode of the next adjacent electrode means, said semiconductor electrode having a substantially larger area facing the substrate than the portion of the metal electrode closest to the substrate, each semiconductor electrode being directly connected to itS paired metal electrode; and means for applying one phase of a two-phase shift voltage to alternate electrode means and the second phase of the two-phase shift voltage to the other electrode means.

Claim 8

In a two-phase operated, charge-coupled circuit as set forth in claim 5, each electrode means comprising a polysilicon electrode as the semiconductor electrode and an aluminum electrode as the metal electrode.

Claim 9

A charge-coupled radiant energy sensing system comprising, in combination: a semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer on said substrate; an array of radiant-energy sensing locations on said insulating layer, each location comprising a relatively transparent polysilicon electrode, a metal electrode spaced from and slightly overlapping an edge of the polysilicon electrode, and a second metal electrode, spaced from and slightly overlapping the opposite edge of the polysilicon electrode, these two metal electrodes leaving a portion of one surface of the polysilicon electrode available for the reception of a radiant energy image; means for applying a radiant energy image to the surface of said array closest to said one surface of said polysilicon electrodes for passage through said polysilicon electrodes to said substrate means for applying a continuous, direct voltage level to said polysilicon electrode, at least during the time said radiant energy image is being applied to said array; and means for shifting charge signals accumulated in said array comprising means applying multiple phase voltages to said metal electrodes while maintaining said polysilicon electrodes at said continuous, direct voltage level.

Claim 10

A charge-coupled radiant energy sensing system comprising, in combination: a semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer on said substrate; an array of radiant-energy sensing locations on said insulating layer, each location comprising a relatively transparent polysilicon electrode, a metal electrode spaced from and slightly overlapping an edge of the polysilicon electrode, and a second metal electrode, spaced from and slightly overlapping the opposite edge of the polysilicon electrode, these two metal electrodes leaving a portion of one surface of the polysilicon electrode available for the reception of a radiant energy image; means for applying a radiant energy image to the surface of said array closest to said one surface of said polysilicon electrodes for passage through said polysilicon electrodes to said substrate means for applying a continuous, direct voltage level to said polysilicon electrode, at least during the time said radiant energy image is being applied to said array; and means for shifting charge signals accumulated in said array comprising means applying multiple phase voltages to said metal electrodes while maintaining said polysilicon electrodes at said continuous, direct voltage level.

Claim 11

A charge-coupled sensing system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first metal electrode of each location in a row except the first such location is formed as an extension of the second metal electrode of the preceding location in that row.

Claim 12

A charge-coupled light sensing array comprising in combination: a common semiconductor substrate; an array of charge storage electrodes arranged in columns and rows capacitively coupled to said substrate, each third one of said electrodes being responsive to light for accumulating a charge at the surface of the substrate beneath that electrode; a sense amplifier coupled to an end of all rows in the array; a two phase power supply; means for selecting any desired row for readout comprising means for coupling both phases of said two phase power supply to electrodes in said selected row for shifting the charge present in the selected row to the end of that row for sensing by said sense amplifier; means for continuously applying to all rows not selected only one of said phases of said two phase power for retaining charges accumulated in the non-selected rows stored in these rows; each row of the array comprising successive groups of electrodes, each such group with three electrodes, the third electrode of each group lying between the second electrode of that group and the first electrode of the next group; and said means for selecting any desired row comprising means for maintaining the second electrode of each group, that is, the electrode responsive to light, at a direct voltage level V1, means for applying the first phase phi 1 of said two phase power supply to the first electrode of each group, said first phase varying in value from V0 to V2, where V0 < V1 and V2 > V1, and means for applying the second phase phi 2 of said two phase power supply to the third electrode of each group, said second phase varying in value from V0 to V2 and being out-of-phase with phi 1.

Claim 13

A charge-coupled light sensing array comprising in combination: a common semiconductor substrate; an array of charge storage electrodes arranged in columns and rows capacitively coupled to said substrate, each third one of said electrodes being responsive to light for accumulating a charge at the surface of the substrate beneath that electrode; a sense amplifier coupled to an end of all rows in the array; a two phase power supply; means for selecting any desired row for readout comprising means for coupling both phases of said two phase power supply to electrodes in said selected row for shifting the charge present in the selected row to the end of that row for sensing by said sense amplifier; means for continuously applying to all rows not selected only one of said phases of said two phase power for retaining charges accumulated in the non-selected rows stored in these rows; each row of the array comprising successive groups of electrodes, each such group with three electrodes, the third electrode of each group lying between the second electrode of that group and the first electrode of the next group; and said means for selecting any desired row comprising means for maintaining the second electrode of each group, that is, the electrode responsive to light, at a direct voltage level V1, means for applying the first phase phi 1 of said two phase power supply to the first electrode of each group, said first phase varying in value from V0 to V2, where V0 < V1 and V2 > V1, and means for applying the second phase phi 2 of said two phase power supply to the third electrode of each group, said second phase varying in value from V0 to V2 and being out-of-phase with phi 1.

Claim 14

A charge-coupled radiation sensing array comprising, in combination: first and second connections for the first and second phases, respectively, of a two phase power supply; a third connection, this one for a direct voltage power supplY; a substrate; an array of charge storage electrodes arranged in columns and rows capacitively coupled to said substrate, each row of the array comprising a plurality of locations equal to the number of columns, each location having first, second and third electrodes, and each row including an output terminal at the end of that row; fixed connections from said third connection to all second electrodes of said array, for maintaining said second electrodes at a voltage level to permit the accumulation of radiation induced charge in the regions of said substrate adjacent to said second electrodes; fixed connections from said first connection to all first electrodes in said array; and means for selecting any desired row for readout comprising means for coupling said second connection to the third electrode of each location in the desired said row for shifting the charge signal accumulated at each location in said desired row from location to location in that row until it reaches the output terminal at the end of that row.

Claim 15

A charge-coupled radiation sensing array comprising, in combination: first and second connections for the first and second phases, respectively, of a two phase power supply; a third connection, this one for a direct voltage power supplY; a substrate; an array of charge storage electrodes arranged in columns and rows capacitively coupled to said substrate, each row of the array comprising a plurality of locations equal to the number of columns, each location having first, second and third electrodes, and each row including an output terminal at the end of that row; fixed connections from said third connection to all second electrodes of said array, for maintaining said second electrodes at a voltage level to permit the accumulation of radiation induced charge in the regions of said substrate adjacent to said second electrodes; fixed connections from said first connection to all first electrodes in said array; and means for selecting any desired row for readout comprising means for coupling said second connection to the third electrode of each location in the desired said row for shifting the charge signal accumulated at each location in said desired row from location to location in that row until it reaches the output terminal at the end of that row.