← Back to Patent Explorer
US5311047A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Amorphous SI/SIC heterojunction color-sensitive phototransistor

Assignee: National Science and Technology Council
•
Filing: 1988-11-16
•
Granted: 1994-05-10
•
Expires: 2008-11-16
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An amorphous Si/SiC heterojunction color-sensitive phototransistor was successfully fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The structure is glass/ITO/a-Si(n + -i-p + )/a-SiC(i-n + )/Al. The device is a bulk barrier transistor with a wide-bandgap amorphous SiC emitter. The phototransistor revealed a very high optical gain of 40 and a response speed of 10 us at an input light power of 5 uW and a collector current of 0.12 mA at a voltage of 14 V. The peak response occurs at 610 nm under 1 V bias and changes to 420 and 540 nm under 7- and 13-V biases, respectively.

Inventors

  • 👤 Chun-Yen Chang

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 04:09
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/24; H10F30/245

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 70 words
An amorphous Si/SiC heterojunction color-sensitive majority carrier bulk barrier phototransistor, comprising in order the following layers: a glass substrate; a collector electrode formed by an ITO coating on the glass substrate; an amorphous silicon n + collector layer; an undoped amorphous silicon collector layer; a p + amorphous silicon base layer; an amorphous undoped silicon carbide emitter layer; an amorphous n + silicon carbide emitter layer; and an emitter electrode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 70 words
An amorphous Si/SiC heterojunction color-sensitive majority carrier bulk barrier phototransistor, comprising in order the following layers: a glass substrate; a collector electrode formed by an ITO coating on the glass substrate; an amorphous silicon n + collector layer; an undoped amorphous silicon collector layer; a p + amorphous silicon base layer; an amorphous undoped silicon carbide emitter layer; an amorphous n + silicon carbide emitter layer; and an emitter electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 78 words
A color-sensitive phototransistor as recited in claim 1, wherein the undoped emitter layer has a thickness of between 100 and 500 Å, the undoped collector layer has a thickness of between 2000 and 7000 Å and the n + silicon carbide emitter and n + collector layers have thickness of 120 Å and 100 Å, respectively, and wherein there are no free carriers at any bias in the undoped emitter and collector layers and in the base layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 90 words
A color-sensitive phototransistor as recited in claim 1, wherein the collector electrode is positively biased with respect to the emitter electrode such that, when light is introduced through the glass substrate, an optical gain is 40 at 5 microwatts of incident optical power, a 0.121 milliamp collector current, and a 14 volt collector-emitter bias voltage, and wherein a maximum said optical gain occurs at a wavelength of 610 nm at a bias of 1 V, and at a wavelength of 420 nm when the bias is change to 7 V.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4385200A Cited
US4633287A Cited
US4665428A Cited
US4600935A Cited
US4736234A Cited
US4728997A Cited
US4820915A Cited
US4847215A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-05-09 1997-11-08 1998-05-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-05-09 2001-11-08 2002-05-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-05-09 2005-11-08 2006-05-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag