US5952645A — Light-sensing array with wedge-like reflective op…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 194 words

An optical detector, comprising: an image receiving surface formed on a semiconductor substrate, including at least a photosensitive area and an adjacent non-photosensitive area and operating to receive light incident upon said detector from the side of said imaging receiving surface; and a light collecting element formed over said image receiving surface relative to said photosensitive area and said non-photosensitive area and configured to couple said incident light to said image receiving surface by reflection and to enhance a light-collecting efficiency of said photosensitive area and imaging resolution without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said light collecting element includes at least two light reflecting surfaces, adjacent said photosensitive area and each forming an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said image receiving surface, said light reflecting surfaces operable to reflect at least a portion of light which would otherwise impinge on said non-photosensitive area towards the photosensitive area, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said image receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said image receiving surface.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 194 words

An optical detector, comprising: an image receiving surface formed on a semiconductor substrate, including at least a photosensitive area and an adjacent non-photosensitive area and operating to receive light incident upon said detector from the side of said imaging receiving surface; and a light collecting element formed over said image receiving surface relative to said photosensitive area and said non-photosensitive area and configured to couple said incident light to said image receiving surface by reflection and to enhance a light-collecting efficiency of said photosensitive area and imaging resolution without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said light collecting element includes at least two light reflecting surfaces, adjacent said photosensitive area and each forming an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said image receiving surface, said light reflecting surfaces operable to reflect at least a portion of light which would otherwise impinge on said non-photosensitive area towards the photosensitive area, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said image receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said image receiving surface.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

A detector as in claim 1 wherein said photosensitive area includes a photogate and said non-photosensitive area includes an area of the substrate integrating an amplifier associated with the photogate.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 109 words

A photodetector, comprising: a substrate, including a sensing surface which has a first photosensitive area and a second non-photosensitive area; and a reflective element formed on said sensing surface and located in a location to reflect at least a portion of incident radiant energy incident to said substrate from said sensing surface side that would otherwise impinge on said second area to said first area, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said reflective element is configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing surface.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 109 words

A photodetector, comprising: a substrate, including a sensing surface which has a first photosensitive area and a second non-photosensitive area; and a reflective element formed on said sensing surface and located in a location to reflect at least a portion of incident radiant energy incident to said substrate from said sensing surface side that would otherwise impinge on said second area to said first area, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said reflective element is configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing surface.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 14 words

A photodetector as in claim 3, wherein said substrate includes an active pixel sensor.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of acquiring radiation over an area, comprising: positioning a radiation sensitive element formed on a receiving surface of a semiconductor substrate to receive radiation; and using at least one reflective surface of a wedge-like structure having a plurality of reflective surfaces and formed on said receiving surface to reflect at least a part of the radiation that is incident in a direction where said part would not impinge on said radiation sensitive element, toward said radiation sensitive element, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, using at least two of said reflective surfaces to operate in combination to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said receiving surface.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 130 words

A method of acquiring radiation over an area, comprising: positioning a radiation sensitive element formed on a receiving surface of a semiconductor substrate to receive radiation; and using at least one reflective surface of a wedge-like structure having a plurality of reflective surfaces and formed on said receiving surface to reflect at least a part of the radiation that is incident in a direction where said part would not impinge on said radiation sensitive element, toward said radiation sensitive element, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, using at least two of said reflective surfaces to operate in combination to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said receiving surface.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 187 words

An optical detector, comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second opposite side, said first side having a sensing surface configured to receive radiation incident to said substrate from said first side; a plurality of detector pixels formed on said sensing surface as a sensing array, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed on said sensing surface atop of said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of micro-wedges having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, wherein each micro-wedge has a base and at least two reflective surfaces that respectively intersect said base to form an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said base and is positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of said radiation incident from said first side that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, without a lensing operation.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 187 words

An optical detector, comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second opposite side, said first side having a sensing surface configured to receive radiation incident to said substrate from said first side; a plurality of detector pixels formed on said sensing surface as a sensing array, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed on said sensing surface atop of said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of micro-wedges having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, wherein each micro-wedge has a base and at least two reflective surfaces that respectively intersect said base to form an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said base and is positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of said radiation incident from said first side that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, without a lensing operation.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 53 words

A detector as in claim 6, wherein each said micro-wedge is formed on top of a respective non-radiation-sensitive area by at least partially overlapping said base with said respective non-radiation area and two adjacent micro-wedges are displaced from each other to expose a respective radiation-sensitive area to said first side of said substrate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 16 words

A detector as in claim 7, wherein said reflective surfaces are coated with a radiation-reflective material.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 58 words

A detector as in claim 6, wherein said micro-wedges are configured to have a specified ratio of a height over a width of said base so as to reflect certain radiation rays, that are incident towards said sensing surface from said first side at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle, away from said sensing surface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 74 words

A detector as in claim 6, wherein each micro-wedge is formed of a material that is at least partially transparent to said radiation and is located on top of a respective radiation-sensitive area and a facet opposing said base of said micro-wedge covers said respective radiation-sensitive area so that said reflective surfaces of said micro-wedge direct at least a portion of radiation rays entering said micro-wedge from said base onto said respective radiation-sensitive area.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 18 words

A detector as in claim 10, wherein bases of two adjacent micro-wedges are in contact with each other.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

A detector as in claim 10, wherein each micro-wedge is configured so that said reflective surfaces reflect at least a portion of said radiation rays entering from said base by total internal reflection.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 31 words

A detector as in claim 6, wherein each photosensitive area includes a photogate and the respective non-photosensitive area includes an area of said substrate integrating an amplifier associated with said photogate.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

A detector as in claim 6, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing surface.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 164 words

An optical detector, comprising: a sensing array of detector pixels formed on a semiconductor substrate and operable to convert photons into electrical signals, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed over said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of coupling elements having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, each coupling element having at least two reflective surfaces and positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of incident radiation that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces in each coupling element are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing array at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing array.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 164 words

An optical detector, comprising: a sensing array of detector pixels formed on a semiconductor substrate and operable to convert photons into electrical signals, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed over said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of coupling elements having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, each coupling element having at least two reflective surfaces and positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of incident radiation that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces in each coupling element are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing array at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing array.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

A detector as in claim 15, wherein one reflective surface of one coupling element intercepts another reflective surface of an adjacent coupling element so as to cover at least one non-radiation-sensitive area of one detector pixel.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 12 words

A detector as in claim 15, wherein said reflective surfaces are curved.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 21 words

A detector as in claim 15, wherein said detector pixels are active sensing pixels and each non-photosensitive area includes an amplifier.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-09-13	2003-03-15	2003-09-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-09-13	2007-03-15	2007-09-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-09-13	2011-03-15	2011-09-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Light-sensing array with wedge-like reflective optical concentrators

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