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US 10,254,389 B2Granted
High-speed light sensing apparatus
AssigneeArtilux, Inc.
InventorsYun-Chung Na, Che-Fu Liang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, where the second control signal is different from the first control signal.
Claims26
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;
- one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal;
- and
- one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal, wherein the one or more first switches comprise:
- a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal;
- and
- a first n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit,
- wherein the one or more second switches comprise:
- a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal;
- and
- a second n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit,
- wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a third p-doped region and one or more n-doped regions, the germanium-silicon layer is arranged over the third p-doped region, and the third p-doped region is electrically shorted with the one or more n-doped regions.
10 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;
- one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal;
- and
- one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,
- wherein the one or more first switches comprise:
- a first p-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal;
- and
- a first n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and
- wherein the one or more second switches comprise:
- a second p-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal;
- and
- a second n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.
10 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;
- one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal;
- and
- one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,
- wherein the one or more first switches comprise:
- multiple first p-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple first p-doped regions are controlled by the first control signal;
- and
- multiple first n-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple first n-doped regions are coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and
- wherein the one or more second switches comprise:
- multiple second p-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple second p-doped regions are controlled by the second control signal;
- and
- multiple second n-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple second n-doped regions are coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.
10 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;
- one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal;
- and
- one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,
- wherein the one or more first switches comprise:
- a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal;
- and
- a first n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and
- wherein the one or more second switches comprise:
- a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal;
- and
- a second n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.
10 more elements
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;
- one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal;
- and
- one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal, wherein the one or more first switches comprise:
- a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal;
- and
- a first n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit,
- wherein the one or more second switches comprise:
- a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal;
- and
- a second n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit,
- wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region and a fourth n-doped region,
- wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region is formed in the third n-doped region, and
- wherein at least a portion of the second p-doped region is formed in the fourth n-doped region.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.