Massachusetts Institute of Technology

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Sperry Corporation

Baylor College of Medicine

Houston Advanced Research Center

Bernard B Kosicki

Robert K Reich

Barry E Burke

Dennis D Rathman

Eugene D Savoye

Brian F Aull

Daniel J Ehrlich

David C Shaver

Andrew H Loomis

Mark Alexander Hollis

Michael E Hogan

Richard Hart Mathews

R Allen Murphy

James A Gregory

Rajender S Varma

Daniel R Schuette

Mitch D Eggers

Jonathan C Twichell

James E Carrick

Mordechai Rothschild

Allen M Waxman

Alvin Gabriel Stern

Chang-Lee Chen

David A Fay

Alan N Gove

Matthew J Renzi

Stephen E Bernacki

Jammy C Huang

Bradley J Felton

William H McGonagle

Douglas J Young

Robert W Mountain

Embodiments of the present invention include an electron counter with a charge-coupled device (CCD) register configured to transfer electrons to a Geiger-mode avalanche diode (GM-AD) array operably coupled to the output of the CCD register. At high charge levels, a nondestructive amplifier senses the charge at the CCD register output to provide an analog indication of the charge. At low charge levels, noiseless charge splitters or meters divide the charge into single-electron packets, each of which is detected by a GM-AD that provides a digital output indicating whether an electron is present. Example electron counters are particularly well suited for counting photoelectrons generated by large-format, high-speed imaging arrays because they operate with high dynamic range and high sensitivity. As a result, they can be used to image scenes over a wide range of light levels.

Single-electron detection method and apparatus for solid-state intensity image sensors with a charge splitting device

Single-electron detection method and apparatus for solid-state intensity image sensors with a charge-metering device

A photodiode is provided by the invention, including an n-type active region and a p-type active region. A first one of the n-type and p-type active regions is disposed in a semiconductor substrate at a first substrate surface. A second one of the n-type and p-type active regions includes a high-field zone disposed beneath the first one of the active regions at a first depth in the substrate, a mid-field zone disposed laterally outward of the first active region at a second depth in the substrate greater than the first depth, and a step zone connecting the high-field zone and the mid-field zone in the substrate.

High fill-factor avalanche photodiode

A photon-counting Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode intensity imaging array includes an array of pixels, each having an avalanche photodiode. A pixel senses an avalanche event and stores, in response to the sensed avalanche event, a single bit digital value therein. An array of accumulators are provided such that each accumulator is associated with a pixel. A row decoder circuit addresses a pixel row within the array of pixels. A bit sensing circuit converts a precharged capacitance into a digital value during read operations.

Digital photon-counting geiger-mode avalanche photodiode solid-state monolithic intensity imaging focal-plane with scalable readout circuitry

A charge-coupled device imager including an array of super pixels disposed in a semiconductor substrate having a surface that is accessible to incident illumination. For each super pixel there is provided a plurality of subpixels which each correspond to one in the sequence of image frames. Each subpixel includes a doped photogenerated charge collection channel region opposite the illumination-accessible substrate surface, a charge collection channel region control electrode, doped charge drain regions adjacent to the channel region, a charge drain region control electrode, and a doped charge collection control region. To each subpixel are provided channel region and drain region control voltage connections, for independent collection and storage of photogenerated charge from the substrate at the charge collection channel region of a selected subpixel during one in the sequence of image frames and for drainage of photogenerated charge from the substrate to a drain region.

High-speed, high-sensitivity charge-coupled device with independent pixel control of charge collection and storage

The wafer thickness of a CCD front illuminated silicon wafer is reduced to about ten to twenty microns, the Al substrate is removed and a 5-35 nanometer silicon oxide layer is produced on the thinned back of the silicon wafer followed by implanting boron ions within the back surface to a depth up to about ten nanometers. Furnace annealing the wafer is now carried out, and the Al substrate is redeposited to enable the formation of gate contacts.

Fabrication of UV-sensitive back illuminated CCD image sensors

A hybrid integrated circuit and method of fabricating a hybrid integrated circuit. A first wafer is provided having a first surface with a first electrical contact for a first active circuit associated therewith and a second surface. A second wafer is provided having a third surface with a second electrical contact for a second active circuit associated therewith and a fourth surface, the second wafer being chemically thinned at the fourth surface. The first and second wafers are bonded together at an interface between the first and third surfaces such that the first and second electrical contacts are relatively aligned with one another. The fourth surface of the second wafer is processed to define an access via to both the first and second contacts. An electrical interconnection is formed between the first and second contacts within the access via so that the first and second active circuits are electrically interconnected.

Interconnection technique for hybrid integrated devices

An imaging system is provided for imaging a scene to produce a sequence of image frames of the scene at a frame rate, R, of at least about 25 image frames per second. The system includes an optical input port, a charge-coupled imaging device, an analog signal processor, and an analog-to-digital processor (A/D). The A/D digitizes the amplified pixel signal to produce a digital image signal formatted as a sequence of image frames each of a plurality of digital pixel values and having a dynamic range of digital pixel values represented by a number of digital bits, B, where B is greater than 8. A digital image processor is provided for processing digital pixel values in the sequence of image frames to produce an output image frame sequence at the frame rate, R, representative of the imaged scene, with a latency of no more than about 1/R and a dynamic range of image frame pixel values represented by a number of digital bits, D, where D is less than B. The output image frame sequence is characterized by noise-limited resolution of at least a minimum number, N.sub.M, of line pairs per millimeter, referred to the charge-coupled imaging device pixel array, in an imaged scene as a function of illuminance of the input light impinging the charge-coupled imaging device pixels.

Low-light-level imaging and image processing

A method and apparatus are disclosed for identifying molecular structures within a sample substance using a monolithic array of test sites formed on a substrate upon which the sample substance is applied. Each test site includes probes formed therein to bond with a predetermined target molecular structure or structures. A signal is applied to the test sites and certain electrical, mechanical and/or optical properties of the test sites are detected to determine which probes have bonded to an associated target molecular structure.

Optical and electrical methods and apparatus for molecule detection

A charge modulation device having a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type. An epitaxial layer of second conductivity type is provided on a portion of the semiconductor region so as to define an FET channel region. A first epitaxial region of the second conductivity type is provided adjacent to and in contact with the epitaxial layer so as to define an FET drain region, the first epitaxial region being electrically isolated from the semiconductor region. A second epitaxial region of the second conductivity type is provided adjacent to and in contact with the epitaxial layer so as to define an FET source region, the second epitaxial region being electrically isolated from the semiconductor region. A third epitaxial region of the first conductivity type or a metal oxide semiconductor is provided to the channel region between the source and drain regions.

Charge modulation device

A charge-coupled device having an array of pixel elements formed in a substrate, which device is operable in a first state to expand the depletion well regions of each pixel element into the substrate for storing incoming photoelectrons therein and in a second state to contract the expanded depletion well regions to prevent storage of photoelectrons in the contracted depletion well regions.

Integrated electronic shutter for charge-coupled devices

A surface electron barrier region is formed on a semiconductor membrane device by a single step laser process which produces a sharp doping profile in a surface region above the light penetration depth. Enhanced quantum efficiency is observed, and by selectively forming barrier layers of differing depth, a CCD device architecture for two-color sensitivity is achieved. The barrier layer results in enhanced membrane-type and radiation hardened bipolar and CMOS devices.

Barrier layer device processing

A method for dry anisotropic etching of semiconductor material by a reactive gas infused in the presence of a low-pressure plasma discharge uses a photoresist mask superposed on a semiconductive film with the slope of the photoresist edges defined within a critical angular range to allow selective formation of a protective polymer film which prevents lateral etching of the edges of the photoresist and sidewalls of the film, while not inhibiting vertical etching, thereby allowing precision definition of the etched pattern. A novel technique to determine the conditions of the photoresist sidewall geometry necessary for polymer film formation and predictable etching behavior encapsulates the film in a thick layer of photoresist, which after cleaving the structure permits selectively etching the photoresist to expose and retain the polymer film without deformation.

Anisotropic plasma etching of semiconductors

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Acton, MA, United States of America

Bernard B Kosicki