The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 07, 1990
Chao Huang, Goleta, CA (US);
Paul R Norton, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Santa Barbara Research Center, Goleta, CA (US);
Abstract
An array [10] of photodetecting active regions [16] includes a layer of photoresponsive material [14] differentiated into a plurality of photodetecting active regions. The layer has a composition which varies across a thickness of the layer from a first surface of the layer to a second surface [14a] of the layer such that a magnitude of an effective energy bandgap of the layer decreases from the first surface to the second surface. A resulting crystal potential field constrains photoexcited minority charge carriers to exist within a region of the layer which is substantially adjacent to the second, narrower energy bandgap surface. The array further includes a plurality of groove structures [18] formed within the second surface of the layer and extending into the layer to a depth less than the thickness of the layer. A groove is interposed between at least two adjacent active regions for substantially preventing minority carriers from laterally diffusing between active regions. The grooves may be combined with ground plane or guard diode structures, each limiting the diffusion of minority charge carriers along a respective axis. The photodetecting active regions may each comprise a reduced area p-n juntion.