Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100148040 | GEIGER-MODE PHOTODIODE WITH INTEGRATED AND ADJUSTABLE QUENCHING RESISTOR, PHOTODIODE ARRAY, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - An embodiment of a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode includes a body of semiconductor material having a first conductivity type, a first surface and a second surface; a trench extending through the body from the first surface and surrounding an active region; a lateral-isolation region within the trench, formed by a conductive region and an insulating region of dielectric material, the insulating region surrounding the conductive region; an anode region having a second conductivity type, extending within the active region and facing the first surface. The active region forms a cathode region extending between the anode region and the second surface, and defines a quenching resistor. The photodiode has a contact region of conductive material, overlying the first surface and in contact with the conductive region for connection thereof to a circuit biasing the conductive region, thereby a depletion region is formed in the active region around the insulating region. | 06-17-2010 |
20100271108 | GEIGER-MODE PHOTODIODE WITH INTEGRATED AND JFET-EFFECT-ADJUSTABLE QUENCHING RESISTOR, PHOTODIODE ARRAY, AND CORRESPONDING MANUFACTURING METHOD - An embodiment of a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode, having: a body made of semiconductor material of a first type of conductivity, provided with a first surface and a second surface and forming a cathode region; and an anode region of a second type of conductivity, extending inside the body on top of the cathode region and facing the first surface. The photodiode moreover has: a buried region of the second type of conductivity, extending inside the body and surrounding an internal region of the body, which extends underneath the anode region and includes the internal region and defines a vertical quenching resistor; a sinker region extending through the body starting from the first surface and in direct contact with the buried region; and a contact region made of conductive material, overlying the first surface and in direct contact with the sinker region. | 10-28-2010 |
20100301445 | TRENCH SIDEWALL CONTACT SCHOTTKY PHOTODIODE AND RELATED METHOD OF FABRICATION - A Schottky photodiode may include a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate having a front surface, a rear surface, and a first dopant concentration and configured to define a cathode of the Schottky photodiode, a doped epitaxial layer over the front surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor substrate having a second dopant concentration less than the first dopant concentration, and parallel spaced apart trenches in the doped epitaxial layer and having of a depth less than a depth of the doped epitaxial layer. The Schottky photodiode may include a metal filler in the parallel spaced apart trenches to form a Schottky rectifying contact with the doped epitaxial layer, an anode current distributor metal layer on a surface of the doped epitaxial layer and in electrical contact with the metal filler of the parallel spaced apart trenches, a dielectric passivation layer on the anode current distributor metal layer, and a conductive metal layer over the rear surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor substrate and configured to provide an ohmic contact with the cathode. | 12-02-2010 |
20110079869 | MULTIPLEXED OUTPUT TWO TERMINAL PHOTODIODE ARRAY FOR IMAGING APPLICATIONS AND RELATED FABRICATION PROCESS - A detector array for an imaging system may exploit the different sensitivities of array pixels to an incident flux of low energy photons with a wavelength falling near the high end of the range of sensitivity of the semiconductor. The detector array may provide the de-multiplexable spatial information. The detector array may include a two-terminal multi-pixel array of Schottky photodiodes electrically connected in parallel. | 04-07-2011 |
20110241149 | GEIGER-MODE AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE WITH HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO, AND CORRESPONDING MANUFACTURING PROCESS - An embodiment of a geiger-mode avalanche photodiode includes: a body of semiconductor material, having a first surface and a second surface; a cathode region of a first type of conductivity, which extends within the body; and an anode region of a second type of conductivity, which extends within the cathode region and faces the first surface, the anode and cathode regions defining a junction. The anode region includes at least two subregions, which extend at a distance apart within the cathode region starting from the first surface, and delimit at least one gap housing a portion of the cathode region, the maximum width of the gap and the levels of doping of the two subregions and of the cathode region being such that, by biasing the junction at a breakdown voltage, a first depleted region occupies completely the portion of the cathode region within the gap. | 10-06-2011 |
20110291103 | TRENCH SIDEWALL CONTACT SCHOTTKY PHOTODIODE AND RELATED METHOD OF FABRICATION - A Schottky photodiode may include a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate having a front surface, a rear surface, and a first dopant concentration and configured to define a cathode of the Schottky photodiode, a doped epitaxial layer over the front surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor substrate having a second dopant concentration less than the first dopant concentration, and parallel spaced apart trenches in the doped epitaxial layer and having of a depth less than a depth of the doped epitaxial layer. The Schottky photodiode may include a metal filler in the parallel spaced apart trenches to form a Schottky rectifying contact with the doped epitaxial layer, an anode current distributor metal layer on a surface of the doped epitaxial layer and in electrical contact with the metal filler of the parallel spaced apart trenches, a dielectric passivation layer on the anode current distributor metal layer, and a conductive metal layer over the rear surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor substrate and configured to provide an ohmic contact with the cathode. | 12-01-2011 |
20120068050 | MULTI PIXEL PHOTO DETECTOR ARRAY OF GEIGER MODE AVALANCHE PHOTODIODES - A multi-pixel photodetector array may include a semiconductor substrate having a back side and a front side, Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes (GM-APDs) on the semiconductor substrate, each including an anode contact, and a common cathode for the GM-APDs and having a first connection lead on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. The multi-pixel photodetector array may include a second connection lead, and a common anode on the front side of the semiconductor substrate and configured to couple in common the anode contacts of the GM-APDs to the second connection lead. Each GM-APD may be configured to generate, when a photon impinges thereon, a current pulse of different shape for discrimination by an external circuit connected to the common cathode and the common anode. | 03-22-2012 |
20120270360 | MULTIPLEXED OUTPUT TWO TERMINAL PHOTODIODE ARRAY FOR IMAGING APPLICATIONS AND RELATED FABRICATION PROCESS - A detector array for an imaging system may exploit the different sensitivities of array pixels to an incident flux of low energy photons with a wavelength falling near the high end of the range of sensitivity of the semiconductor. The detector array may provide the de-multiplexable spatial information. The detector array may include a two-terminal multi-pixel array of Schottky photodiodes electrically connected in parallel. | 10-25-2012 |
20130030763 | SPECTROMETER INCLUDING A GEIGER-MODE AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE - A spectrometer including: a photodiode having a depleted region and generating an electrical detection signal indicating instants of detection of optical pulses; a converter generating an electrical delay signal, indicating delays between the instants of detection and corresponding instants of emission of the optical pulses; a memory, storing a theoretical function corresponding to the probability of triggering an avalanche by a charge carrier generated in the depleted region; and a computing stage which determines a statistical distribution of the delays between the instants of detection and the corresponding instants of emission; selects a Gaussian portion of the statistical distribution; calculates the ratio between the sum of the number of delays of the Gaussian portion and the sum of the number of delays of the statistical distribution; and determines an estimate of the wavelength of the optical pulses on the basis of the theoretical function and of the sample value. | 01-31-2013 |
20140191114 | PROXIMITY SENSOR AND METHOD OF SENSING A DISTANCE OF AN OBJECT FROM A PROXIMITY SENSOR - A proximity sensor may include an array of Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes, each including an anode contact and a cathode contact. A common cathode contact may be coupled to the cathode contacts of the array to define a first connection lead at a back side of the array. A common anode collecting grid contact may be coupled to the anode contacts of the array to define a second connection lead of the array. Circuitry may be coupled with the first and second connection leads and configured to sense at least one of a dark current and a rate of current spikes generated in dark conditions, and generate an output signal representing, an estimated distance of an object from the array upon the sensing. | 07-10-2014 |
20140339398 | AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE OPERATING IN GEIGER MODE INCLUDING A STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRO-OPTICAL CONFINEMENT FOR CROSSTALK REDUCTION, AND ARRAY OF PHOTODIODES - An avalanche photodiode includes a cathode region and an anode region. A lateral insulating region including a barrier region and an insulating region surrounds the anode region. The cathode region forms a planar optical guide within a core of the cathode region, the guide being configured to guide photons generated during avalanche. The barrier region has a thickness extending through the planar optical guide to surround the core and prevent propagation of the photons beyond the barrier region. The core forms an electrical-confinement region for minority carriers generated within the core. | 11-20-2014 |