Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Fraunhofer-gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.v.

Thomson Licensing

Deutsche Thomson-brandt Gmbh

Armin Kemna

Werner Brockherde

Ingo Hehemann

Hartmut Richter

Josef Lauter

Holger Hofmann

Ralf Hausschild

Apart from a semiconductor substrate and a photosensitive region in the semiconductor substrate, which comprises a space charge zone region for generating a diffusion current portion and a diffusion region for generating a diffusion current portion, a photodiode includes an insulation means in the semiconductor substrate for at least partially confining the diffusion region against an adjacent surrounding region of the semiconductor substrate. The reduction of the bandwidth of photodiodes by the smearing of the response of the photodiode by the diffusion current is alleviated by providing an insulation means in the semiconductor substrate, which confines the diffusion region against the surrounding semiconductor substrate and hereby on the one hand reduces the number of charge carriers contributing to the diffusion portion by reducing the diffusion region, in which the diffusing charge carriers are generated, and on the other hand by 'sucking off' diffusing charge carriers generated in the shrunk diffusion region by the insulation means, which is why same do not contribute to the photocurrent.

Photodiode

An optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam in a detection window and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam includes a first detection diode and an array of at least two second detection diodes in a detection window. In addition, provision is made for a first readout circuit connectable to the first detection diode, for reading out the first detection diode at a first readout speed to detect the data, and for a second readout circuit connectable to the second detection diodes, for reading out the second detection diodes at a second readout speed smaller than the first readout speed, so as to detect the intensity of the light beam. A fundamental consideration underlying the present invention is that although the provision of additional detection diodes in the detection window initially is associated with additional expense and a reduction of the surface area of the detection window which may effectively be utilized for data detection, these disadvantages are outweighed however, by the fact that this array of additional detection diodes in the detection window enables more effective and/or less expensive control of the alignment of the light beam transmitting the data with the detection window.

Optical detection device for detecting an intensity of a light beam and for detecting data transmitted by the light beam

The invention relates to a light-sensitive semiconductor component that consists of pixels ( ), wherein n doped dot zones ( ) are provided, in a preferably hexagonal pattern, on the surface of a p doped channel region, the dot zones ( ) of a pixel ( ) being electrically connected to one another by means of leads ( ) and to a collecting lead ( ). The dot zones ( ) form parallel connected semiconductor diodes whereby minority charge carriers that are generated by the incidence of light in the channel region can be detected after having traveled to the dot zones ( ) by diffusion. The described arrangement enables a high sensitivity to be achieved throughout the channel region and also a minimum capacitance of the semiconductor constructed by means of the CMOS technique. Diffusion of charge carriers out of a pixel is prevented by a guard ring ( ) of an opposed type of doping.

Light sensitive semiconductor component

Growing community of inventors

Duisburg, Germany

Armin Kemna