US5726440A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Wavelength selective photodetector
Assignee: METHODE MASSACHUSETTES (NOW KNOWN AS) LLC
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Filing: 1995-11-06
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Granted: 1998-03-10
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Expires: 2015-11-06
Abstract
Abstract A wavelength selective photodetector including: a substrate having a buried insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of the substrate located below the insulator layer from an upper section of the substrate located above the insulator layer; and a photon detector formed on the upper section of the substrate for detecting photons in a selected wavelength range, wherein the upper section has a selected thickness and the thickness determines at least in part the selected wavelength range of the detected photons.
Inventors
- 👤 Nader M. Kalkhoran
- 👤 Fereydoon Namavar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 12:20
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F30/00; H10F30/20; H10F30/21; H10F30/22; H10F30/221; H10F71/00; H10F71/121; H10F71/1215; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a substrate having a buried insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer; and photon detection means formed on said upper section of said substrate for detecting photons; wherein said upper section has a selected thickness and said selected thickness at least in part determines a wavelength range of said photons detected by said photon detection means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
82 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a substrate having a buried insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer; and photon detection means formed on said upper section of said substrate for detecting photons; wherein said upper section has a selected thickness and said selected thickness at least in part determines a wavelength range of said photons detected by said photon detection means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises Si.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said buried insulator layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and aluminum oxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 3 wherein said buried insulator layer has a thickness between about 500 Å and about 1 micron.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said upper section comprises a material having a characteristic energy band gap and said energy band gap at least in part determines said wavelength range of said photons detected by said photon detection means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said upper section comprises Si.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 6 wherein said upper section has a thickness of less than about 2000 Å and said selected wavelength is in a range between about 200 nm and about 400 nm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 6 wherein said upper section has a thickness in a range between about 500 Å and about 1000 Å.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 6 wherein said upper section includes a first-type doped upper region and a second-type doped lower region and said photodetection means comprises a photodiode formed from a semiconductor junction between said upper region and said lower region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said upper region is n-type doped and said lower region is p-type doped.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said upper region is p-type doped and said lower region is n-type doped.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said p-type dopant is boron.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said n-type dopant is As.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said lower region is doped to have a dopant concentration in a range between about 1×10 15 /cm 3 and about 1×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 wherein said upper region is doped to have a dopant concentration in the range between about 1×10 17 /cm 3 and about 1×10 20 /cm 3 .
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 9 further comprising: first ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said upper region of said semiconductor junction; and second ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said lower region of said semiconductor junction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 further comprising anti-reflection means formed on said photon detection means for reducing reflection loss at selected wavelengths.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 17 wherein said anti-reflection means comprises a coating fabricated from an antireflective material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 18 wherein said anti-reflective material comprises at least one of SiO 2 , ZnS, Si 3 N 4 , MgF, TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , and SiC.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 17 wherein said anti-reflection means comprises a first coating of an anti-reflective material formed on said photon detection means and a second coating of a second anti-reflective material formed on said first coating.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 20 wherein said first anti-reflective material is Si 3 N 4 and said second anti-reflective material is SiO 2 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
14 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said upper section comprises SiC.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 22 wherein said upper section has a thickness of less than about 1 micron.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 22 wherein said upper section has a thickness in a range between about 500 Å and about 5000 Å.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 22 wherein said upper section includes a first-type doped upper region and a second-type doped lower region and said photodetection means comprises a photodiode formed from a semiconductor junction between said upper region and said lower region.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said upper region is p-type doped and said lower region is n-type doped.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said upper region is n-type doped and said lower region is p-type doped.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said p-type dopant is one of aluminum and boron.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said n-type dopant is one of nitrogen and phosphorous.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said upper region is doped to have a dopant concentration in a range between about 1×10 17 /cm 3 and about 1×10 20 /cm 3 .
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
35 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 wherein said lower region is doped to have a dopant concentration in the range between about 1×10 15 /cm 3 and about 1×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
41 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 25 further comprising: first ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said upper region of said semiconductor junction; and second ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said lower region of said semiconductor junction.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
51 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 1 wherein said upper section comprises a first layer and a second layer, said first layer being formed from Si and being located adjacent to said buried insulator layer and said second layer being formed from SiC and being formed on said first layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 33 wherein said first layer has a thickness of between about 100 Å and about 2000 Å.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
24 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 33 wherein said second layer has a thickness of between about 250 Å and about 3000 Å.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
44 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 33 wherein said second layer includes a first-type doped upper region and a second-type doped lower region and said photodetection means comprises a photodiode formed from a semiconductor junction between said upper region and said lower region.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 36 wherein said upper region is p-type doped and said lower region is n-type doped.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 36 wherein said upper region is n-type doped and said lower region is p-type doped.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 36 wherein said p-type dopant is one of aluminum and boron.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
18 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 34 wherein said n-type dopant is one of nitrogen and phosphorous.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
35 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 34 wherein said upper region is doped to have a dopant concentration in a range between about 1×10 17 /cm 3 and about 1×10 20 /cm 3 .
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
36 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 34 wherein said lower region is doped to have a dopant concentration in the range of between about 1×10 15 /cm 3 and about 1×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
41 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 36 further comprising: first ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said upper region of said semiconductor junction; and second ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said lower region of said semiconductor junction.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
57 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 33 wherein said first layer is doped with a first-type dopant and said second layer is doped with a second-type dopant, said first-type dopant being opposite to said second-type dopant and said photodetection means comprising a photodiode formed by a semiconductor junction between said first layer and said second layer.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
41 words
A wavelength selective photodetector according to claim 44 further comprising: first ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said first-type region of said semiconductor junction; and second ohmic contact means for electrically connecting to said second-type region of said semiconductor junction.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
108 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a Si-based substrate having a buried silicon oxide insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer, said upper section having a thickness of between about 500 Å and about 1 micron, and comprising SiC; a photodiode formed on said upper section for detecting photons within a selected wavelength range and generating an electrical signal indicative of said detection; ohmic contacts for electrical connection to said photodiode; and an antireflective coating formed on said photodiode for minimizing reflectance losses in said selected wavelength range.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
108 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a Si-based substrate having a buried silicon oxide insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer, said upper section having a thickness of between about 500 Å and about 1 micron, and comprising SiC; a photodiode formed on said upper section for detecting photons within a selected wavelength range and generating an electrical signal indicative of said detection; ohmic contacts for electrical connection to said photodiode; and an antireflective coating formed on said photodiode for minimizing reflectance losses in said selected wavelength range.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
132 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a Si-based substrate having a buried silicon oxide insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer, said upper section having a first layer and a second layer, said first layer being formed from Si and being located adjacent to said buried insulator layer and said second layer being formed from SiC and being formed on said first layer; a photodiode formed on said upper section for detecting photons within a selected wavelength range and generating an electrical signal indicative of said detection; ohmic contacts for electrical connection to said photodiode; and an antireflective coating formed on said photodiode for minimizing reflectance losses in said selected wavelength range.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
132 words
A wavelength selective photodetector comprising: a Si-based substrate having a buried silicon oxide insulator layer for electrically isolating a lower section of said substrate located below said insulator layer from an upper section of said substrate located above said insulator layer, said upper section having a first layer and a second layer, said first layer being formed from Si and being located adjacent to said buried insulator layer and said second layer being formed from SiC and being formed on said first layer; a photodiode formed on said upper section for detecting photons within a selected wavelength range and generating an electrical signal indicative of said detection; ohmic contacts for electrical connection to said photodiode; and an antireflective coating formed on said photodiode for minimizing reflectance losses in said selected wavelength range.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-03-09 | 2001-09-08 | 2002-03-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-03-09 | 2005-09-08 | 2006-03-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-03-09 | 2009-09-08 | 2010-03-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |