Image intensifier with stray particle shield
AssigneeEagle Technology, LLC
InventorsArlynn W. Smith, Dan Chilcott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light intensifier includes a semiconductor structure to multiply electrons and block stray particles (e.g., photons and/or ions). The semiconductor structure includes an electron multiplier region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semiconductor structure, blocking regions that are doped to direct the plurality of electrons towards emissions areas of an emission surface of the semiconductor structure, and shielding regions that are doped to absorb stray particles that impinge the emission surface of the semiconductor structure.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure that includes,
- an electron multiplier region that is doped to generate a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges a reception surface of the semiconductor structure;
- a blocking region that is doped to repel the plurality of electrons towards an emission area of an emission surface of the semiconductor structure;
- and
- a shielding region that is doped to absorb stray particles that impinge the emission surface of the semiconductor structure, wherein the stray particles include one or more of stray photons and stray ions.
A method, comprising:
- generating a plurality of electrons for each electron that impinges a reception surface of a semiconductor structure, within an electron multiplier region of a semiconductor structure;
- repelling the plurality of electrons from blocking regions of the semiconductor structure that are doped to repel electrons, towards emissions areas of an emission surface of the semiconductor structure;
- and
- absorbing stray particles that impinge the emission surface of the semiconductor structure within shielding regions of the semiconductor structure that are doped to absorb photons, wherein the stray particles include one or more of stray photons and stray ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.