Intevac, Inc.

Other

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Eotech, Inc.

Verle W Aebi

Kenneth A Costello

Ross A LaRue

Xi Zeng

Edward Yin

John James Boyle

William E Spicer

Robert E Weiss

Gary A Davis

Stephen J Bartz

Michael Wayne Pelczynski

Michael Jurkovic

Roger T Green

A novel photocathode employing a conduction band barrier is described. Incorporation of a barrier optimizes a trade-off between photoelectron transport efficiency and photoelectron escape probability. The barrier energy is designed to achieve a net increase in photocathode sensitivity over a specific operational temperature range.

Thermally assisted negative electron affinity photocathode

A structure and method of manufacture is disclosed for a backside thinned imager that incorporates a conformal, AlO, low thermal budget, surface passivation. This passivation approach facilitates fabrication of backside thinned, backside illuminated, silicon image sensors with thick silicon absorber layer patterned with vertical trenches that are formed by etching the exposed back surface of a backside-thinned image sensor to control photo-carrier diffusion and optical crosstalk. A method of manufacture employing conformal, AlO, surface passivation approach is shown to provide high quantum efficiency and low dark current while meeting the thermal budget constraints of a finished standard foundry-produced CMOS imager.

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A sensor for night vision applications is provided, wherein the sensor comprises a semiconductor absorption layer of composition that limits long wavelength response cutoff to between 1.25 to 1.4 &#x3bc;m wavelength. The selection of this cutoff frequency provides improved dark current performance, thereby requiring less cooling of the sensor. Consequently, energy consumption is reduced, as the sensor does not require active cooling, so that the sensor is particularly beneficial for mobile night vision applications where battery weight is of high importance.

Low energy portable low-light camera with wavelength cutoff

A novel photocathode employing a rectifying junction is described that permits color imaging extending applications for photocathodes in a variety of instruments and night vision devices.

Photocathode structure and operation

A low light level image directed to a photocathode in a vacuum causes release of electron which bombard a CMOS imager including passive pixel sensors which in turn generates an electronic image which is fed out of the vacuum and is used to create useful images corresponding to the low level input image. A camera and other low light imaging devices are described.

Electron bombarded passive pixel sensor imaging

A low light level system is described wherein electrons, created by images directed to a photocathode, directly bombard active pixel sensors. Both the active pixel sensors and the output end of the photocathode are positioned in a vacuum envelop. The electron released from the photocathode are directed to and at the active pixel sensors. The output of the active pixel sensor detector may be stored, viewed or displayed at a remote location. Various applications are described including a novel camera.

Electron bombarded active pixel sensor

A transferred-electron photocathode or other opto-electronic device having one light-receiving side and one electronic side, in which multiple photocathodes are processed concurrently on a wafer for front and back side contacts and anti-reflection layers. After the wafer-level processing, the individual cells are diced, and each is placed in a rectangular recess formed in a window body with the light-receptive part of the photocathode facing the window. The integration is aided by several novel processes including coining a chip recess into a window, selective etching of titanium over chromium, and using a single metal sheet member for electrically contacting the photocathode, forming part of the vacuum envelope, and providing an exterior electrical tab.

Integrated photocathode

High quality epitaxial layers can be grown on a multi-layer substrate which has a crystalline pseudomorphic layer with an exposed surface used for the epitaxial growth. The pseudomorphic layer of the substrate has a thickness at or below the pseudomorphic limit so it will be deformed as stress forces are developed during epitaxial growth of heteroepitaxial structures. A plastically deformable layer is bonded to the pseudomorphic layer, This plastically deformable layer is made of material that plastically flows at epitaxial growth temperatures.

Pseudomorphic substrates

A method of manufacturing a low noise microchannel plate which limits feedback includes creating a conductive layer on the output side of the microchannel plate so that portions of the open areas in the output end are closed off.

Method of manufacturing a feedback limited microchannel plate

A focused electron/bombarded (FEB) ion detector comprising an MCP, focusing means, and a collection anode disposed in a detector body. The collector anode includes a diode for receiving the focused output electron beam from the MCP. The gain between the input ion current to the MCP and the detector output signal from the diode is on the order of 1-100 million, depending on the device configuration and applied biasing voltages. A hybrid photomultiplier tube includes a photocathode, a photodiode for collecting and multiplying electrons emitted by the photocathode and providing an output signal and electrodes for focusing the electrons on the photodiode. A vacuum envelope encloses a vacuum region between photocathode and the detector. A conductor disposed on or adjacent to a sidewall of the vacuum envelope reduces the effect of electrical charges on the inside wall of the vacuum envelope on the trajectories of the electrons.

Hybrid photomultiplier tube with high sensitivity

A focused electron-bombarded (FEB) ion detector comprising an MCP, focusing means, and a collection anode disposed in a detector body. The collection anode includes a diode for receiving the focused output electron beam from the MCP. The gain between the input ion current to the MCP and the detector output signal from the diode is on the order of 1-100 million, depending on the device configuration and applied biasing voltages.

Focused electron-bombarded detector

A low noise microchannel plate limiting feedback includes a conductive deposit on an output side for reducing open areas at an output end of the plate. The microchannel plate can be included in an image intensifier tube.

Feedback limited microchannel plate

An improved transferred electron III-V semiconductor photocathode comprising an aluminum contact pad and an aluminum grid structure that improves quantum efficiency by removing a major obstacle to electrons escaping into the vacuum and controls dark spot blooming caused by overly bright photon emission sources.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Verle W Aebi