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. 06, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 13, 2007
Masanori Sahara, Hamamatsu, JP;
Mitsutaka Takemura, Hamamatsu, JP;
Koei Yamamoto, Hamamatsu, JP;
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, JP;
Abstract
In a range image sensor, when a first reverse bias voltage applied between a semiconductor substrateand first semiconductor regionsis an H bias, first depleted layers Aand Aexpanding from the p-n junctions of the first semiconductor regionsadjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover a second depleted layer Bexpanding from the p-n junction of a second semiconductor region. Accordingly, carriers C generated near the rear surfaceof the semiconductor substrateare reliably captured by the first depleted layers A. Further, when a second reverse bias voltage applied between the semiconductor substrateand the second semiconductor regionsis an H bias, the second depleted layers adjacent to each other expand and link to each other so as to cover the first depleted layer. Accordingly, carriers generated near the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate are reliably captured by the second depleted layers.