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:
May. 06, 2008
Filed:
Jan. 06, 2005
William E. Tennant, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Eric C. Piquette, Camarillo, CA (US);
Donald L. Lee, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Mason L. Thomas, Moorpark, CA (US);
Majid Zandian, Calabasas, CA (US);
William E. Tennant, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Eric C. Piquette, Camarillo, CA (US);
Donald L. Lee, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Mason L. Thomas, Moorpark, CA (US);
Majid Zandian, Calabasas, CA (US);
Teledyne Licensing, LLC, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a heterojunction photodiode which includes a pn or Schottky-barrier junction formed in a first material region having a bandgap energy E. When reverse-biased, the junction creates a depletion region which expands towards a second material region having a bandgap energy Ewhich is less than E. This facilitates signal photocurrent generated in the second region to flow efficiently through the junction in the first region while minimizing the process-related dark currents and associated noise due to near junction defects and imperfect surfaces which typically reduce photodiode device performance. The heterojunction photodiode can be included in an imaging system which includes an array of junctions to form an imager.