California Institute of Technology

Other

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Johnston Pump/general Valve, Inc.

Michael E Hoenk

Shouleh Nikzad

Todd J Jones

Frank Greer

Brian D Hunt

Flavio Noca

Daniel Choi

Jingming Xu

Michael H Hecht

Frank J Grunthaner

Larry W Epp

Daniel J Hoppe

Robert S Kowalczyk

Paula J Grunthaner

Matthew R Dickie

John J Hennessy

Kerry J Vahala

Bedabrata Pain

Thomas J Cunningham

Bruce R Hancock

Michael J Bronikowski

Steve Perry Monacos

Richard P Vasquez

Chao Sun

April D Jewell

Christopher James Wrigley

Jordana Blacksberg

Kenneth W Newton

Shoulch Nikzad

Alexander G Carver

Robert W Terhune

Chris Martin

H Frank Greer

David Hitlin

Fei Chen

Robert S Kowalcyk

High-quality surface coatings, and techniques combining the atomic precision of molecular beam epitaxy and atomic layer deposition, to fabricate such high-quality surface coatings are provided. The coatings made in accordance with the techniques set forth by the invention are shown to be capable of forming silicon CCD detectors that demonstrate world record detector quantum efficiency (&#x3e;50%) in the near and far ultraviolet (155 nm-300 nm). The surface engineering approaches used demonstrate the robustness of detector performance that is obtained by achieving atomic level precision at all steps in the coating fabrication process. As proof of concept, the characterization, materials, and exemplary devices produced are presented along with a comparison to other approaches.

Atomically precise surface engineering for producing imagers

A filter for electromagnetic radiation including one or more dielectric spacer regions and one or more reflective regions integrated on a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor photodetector, such that the filter transmits ultraviolet radiation to the semiconductor photodetector, the ultraviolet radiation having a range of wavelengths, and the filter suppresses transmission of electromagnetic radiation, having wavelengths outside the range of wavelengths, to the semiconductor photodetector.

Sensor integrated metal dielectric filters for solar-blind silicon ultraviolet detectors

A scintillation detector, including a scintillator that emits scintillation; a semiconductor photodetector having a surface area for receiving the scintillation, wherein the surface area has a passivation layer configured to provide a peak quantum efficiency greater than 40% for a first component of the scintillation, and the semiconductor photodetector has built in gain through avalanche multiplication; a coating on the surface area, wherein the coating acts as a bandpass filter that transmits light within a range of wavelengths corresponding to the first component of the scintillation and suppresses transmission of light with wavelengths outside said range of wavelengths; and wherein the surface area, the passivation layer, and the coating are controlled to increase the temporal resolution of the semiconductor photodetector.

Subnanosecond scintillation detector

A back-illuminated silicon photodetector has a layer of AlOdeposited on a region of a silicon oxide surface that is left uncovered, while deposition is inhibited in another region by a contact shadow mask. The AlOlayer is an antireflection coating. In addition, the AlOlayer can also provide a chemically resistant separation layer between the silicon oxide surface and additional antireflection coating layers. In one embodiment, the silicon photodetector has a delta-doped layer near (within a few nanometers of) the silicon oxide surface. The AlOlayer is expected to provide similar antireflection properties and chemical protection for doped layers fabricated using other methods, such as MBE, ion implantation and CVD deposition.

Atomic layer deposition of high performance anti reflection coatings on delta-doped CCDs

A method and device for imaging or detecting electromagnetic radiation is provided. A device structure includes a first chip interconnected with a second chip. The first chip includes a detector array, wherein the detector array comprises a plurality of light sensors and one or more transistors. The second chip includes a Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) that reads out, via the transistors, a signal produced by the light sensors. A number of interconnects between the ROIC and the detector array can be less than one per light sensor or pixel.

Sparsely-bonded CMOS hybrid imager

A semiconductor device has a multilayer doping to provide improved passivation by quantum exclusion. The multilayer doping includes at least two doped layers fabricated using MBE methods. The dopant sheet densities in the doped layers need not be the same, but in principle can be selected to be the same sheet densities or to be different sheet densities. The electrically active dopant sheet densities are quite high, reaching more than 1&#xd7;10cm, and locally exceeding 10per cubic centimeter. It has been found that silicon detector devices that have two or more such dopant layers exhibit improved resistance to degradation by UV radiation, at least at wavelengths of 193 nm, as compared to conventional silicon p-on-n devices.

Surface passivation by quantum exclusion using multiple layers

Systems and methods for producing high quantum efficiency silicon devices. A silicon MBE has a preparation chamber that provides for cleaning silicon surfaces using an oxygen plasma to remove impurities and a gaseous (dry) NH+NFroom temperature oxide removal process that leaves the silicon surface hydrogen terminated. Silicon wafers up to 8 inches in diameter have devices that can be fabricated using the cleaning procedures and MBE processing, including delta doping.

Delta-doping at wafer level for high throughput, high yield fabrication of silicon imaging arrays

A back-illuminated silicon photodetector has a layer of AlOdeposited on a silicon oxide surface that receives electromagnetic radiation to be detected. The AlOlayer has an antireflection coating deposited thereon. The AlOlayer provides a chemically resistant separation layer between the silicon oxide surface and the antireflection coating. The AlOlayer is thin enough that it is optically innocuous. Under deep ultraviolet radiation, the silicon oxide layer and the antireflection coating do not interact chemically. In one embodiment, the silicon photodetector has a delta-doped layer near (within a few nanometers of) the silicon oxide surface. The AlOlayer is expected to provide similar protection for doped layers fabricated using other methods, such as MBE, ion implantation and CVD deposition.

Atomic layer deposition of chemical passivation layers and high performance anti-reflection coatings on back-illuminated detectors

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that create a synthetic fovea in order to identify and highlight interesting portions of an image for further processing and rapid response. Synthetic foveal imaging implements a parallel processing architecture that uses reprogrammable logic to implement embedded, distributed, real-time foveal image processing from different sensor types while simultaneously allowing for lossless storage and retrieval of raw image data. Real-time, distributed, adaptive processing of multi-tap image sensors with coordinated processing hardware used for each output tap is enabled. In mosaic focal planes, a parallel-processing network can be implemented that treats the mosaic focal plane as a single ensemble rather than a set of isolated sensors. Various applications are enabled for imaging and robotic vision where processing and responding to enormous amounts of data quickly and efficiently is important.

Synthetic foveal imaging technology

Highly efficient, low energy, low light level imagers and photodetectors are provided. In particular, a novel class of Della-Doped Electron Bombarded Array (DDEBA) photodetectors that will reduce the size, mass, power, complexity, and cost of conventional imaging systems while improving performance by using a thinned imager that is capable of detecting low-energy electrons, has high gain, and is of low noise.

Low voltage low light imager and photodetector

A semiconductor device has a multilayer doping to provide improved passivation by quantum exclusion. The multilayer doping includes a plurality M of doped layers, where M is an integer greater than 1. The dopant sheet densities in the M doped layers need not be the same, but in principle can be selected to be the same sheet densities or to be different sheet densities. M&#x2212;1 interleaved layers provided between the M doped layers are not deliberately doped (also referred to as 'undoped layers'). Structures with M=2, M=3 and M=4 have been demonstrated and exhibit improved passivation.

A process for removing indium oxide from indium bumps in a flip-chip structure to reduce contact resistance, by a multi-step plasma treatment. A first plasma treatment of the indium bumps with an argon, methane and hydrogen plasma reduces indium oxide, and a second plasma treatment with an argon and hydrogen plasma removes residual organics. The multi-step plasma process for removing indium oxide from the indium bumps is more effective in reducing the oxide, and yet does not require the use of halogens, does not change the bump morphology, does not attack the bond pad material or under-bump metallization layers, and creates no new mechanisms for open circuits.

Method to improve indium bump bonding via indium oxide removal using a multi-step plasma process

A method is provided for growing a back surface contact on an imaging detector used in conjunction with back illumination. In operation, an imaging detector is provided. Additionally, a back surface contact (e.g. a delta-doped layer, etc.) is grown on the imaging detector utilizing a process that is performed at a temperature less than 450 degrees Celsius.

Method for growing a back surface contact on an imaging detector used in conjunction with back illumination

The present invention relates to curved focal plane arrays. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for making solid-state curved focal plane arrays from standard and high-purity devices that may be matched to a given optical system. There are two ways to make a curved focal plane arrays starting with the fully fabricated device. One way, is to thin the device and conform it to a curvature. A second way, is to back-illuminate a thick device without making a thinned membrane. The thick device is a special class of devices; for example devices fabricated with high purity silicon. One surface of the device (the non VLSI fabricated surface, also referred to as the back surface) can be polished to form a curved surface.

Growing community of inventors

Valencia, CA, United States of America

Michael E Hoenk