Passive local area saturation of electron bombarded gain
AssigneeEagle Technology, LLC
InventorArlynn W. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems to intensify an image, such as in a night vision apparatus, include a semi-conductor structure that includes a first region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons and corresponding holes for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semi-conductor structure, a second region that is doped to attract the holes, an electrically conductive region to output the holes from the second region, and a third region that is doped to restrict a flow of the holes from the second region to the electrically conductive region such that some of the holes will combine with some of the plurality of electrons within the first region. The first region further includes an emission area from which to emit remaining ones of the plurality of electrons.
Claims16
An apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure that includes,
- an electron multiplier region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons and corresponding holes for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semi-conductor structure;
- a blocking region that is doped to attract the holes;
- an electrically conductive region to output the holes from the blocking region;
- and
- a restriction region that is doped to restrict a flow of the holes from the blocking region to the electrically conductive region such that some of the holes will combine with some of the plurality of electrons within the electron multiplier region;
- wherein the electron multiplier region includes an emission area from which to emit remaining ones of the plurality of electrons.
A method, comprising:
- generating a plurality of free electrons and corresponding holes for each electron that impinges an input surface of a semiconductor structure, within a doped electron multiplier region of the semiconductor structure;
- attracting the holes to a doped blocking region of the semiconductor structure;
- outputting the holes from the doped blocking region through an electrically conductive region of the semiconductor structure;
- restricting a flow of the holes from the doped blocking region to the electrically conductive region, in a doped restriction region of the semiconductor structure, to cause some of the holes to combine with some of the plurality of free electrons within the electron multiplier region of the semiconductor structure;
- and
- emitting remaining ones of the plurality of free electrons from an emission area of the doped electron multiplier region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.