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:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1999
The Secretary of State for Defence, Farnborough, GB;
Abstract
A noise reduced photon detector incorporates an array ( ) of semiconductor diode detector elements ( ). Each element ( ) has an extrinsic active layer ( ) sandwiched between two layers ( ) of wider bandgap and mutually opposite conductivity type. These layers are in turn sandwiched between two further layers ( ) of wider bandgap than the active layer ( ) and of higher doping than the other layers ( ). A mirror ( ) extends round much the array ( ) and isolates each element ( ) from photons emitted by other elements ( ). In operation the elements ( ) are reverse biased and exhibit negative luminescence which reduces their photon emission. These two effects reduce unwanted photon generation and absorption, and consequently photon noise is also reduced.