# US 11,451,733 B2 · Optoelectronic device for reducing signal reset number and frame time

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- Number: US 11,451,733 B2
- Document ID: US11451733B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/886,765
- Filed: 2020-05-28
- Published: 2020-12-03
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-31
- Assignees: Artilux, Inc.
- Applicants: Artilux, Inc.
- Inventors: Yun-Chung Na; Chien-Lung Chen; Ming-Jay Yang; Szu-Lin Cheng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451733B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/705: Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ
- H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes}
- G01S 7/4863: Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
- H10F 39/8033: {Photosensitive area}
- H10F 39/811: {Interconnections}
- G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
- H04N 25/771: comprising storage means other than floating diffusion
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

An optoelectronic device is provided. The optoelectronic device includes a photodetector including a light-absorption region, 2N control contact layers electrically coupled to the light-absorption region, and 2N readout contact layers electrically coupled to the light-absorption region, wherein N is a positive integer larger than or equal to 2.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optoelectronic device, comprising:
a photodetector comprising a light-absorption region, 2N control contact layers electrically coupled to the light-absorption region, 2N readout contact layers electrically coupled to the light-absorption region, 2N carrier control regions each located under a corresponding control contact layer, and comprising 2N carrier collection regions each located under a corresponding 2N readout contact layer, wherein each of the 2N carrier collection regions is of a first conductivity type different from a second conductivity type of each of the 2N carrier control regions; and
2N readout circuits, each electrically coupled a corresponding control contact layer, wherein N is a positive integer larger than or equal to 2.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the light-absorption region comprises a first axis of symmetry, and one of the 2N control contact layers at one side of the first axis of symmetry is symmetric to another one of said 2N control contact layers at the other side of the first axis of symmetry.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The optoelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the light-absorption region comprises a second axis of symmetry, and one of said 2N carrier control contact layers at one side of the second axis of symmetry is symmetric to another one of said 2N carrier control contact layers at the other side of the second axis of symmetry; and the second axis of symmetry is substantially perpendicular to the first axis of symmetry.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising 2M control signals different from one another and electrically coupled to the photodetector, 2≤M≤N, M is a positive integer, and each of said 2M control signal are arranged to control at least one of said 2N control contact layers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The optoelectronic device of claim 4, wherein a phase of each of 2M control signals is not overlapped by the phase of one another.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The optoelectronic device of claim 4, wherein each of the 2M control signals comprises a clock pulse, a phase difference between the clock pulse of x-th control signal and the clock pulse of (x+1)-th control signal is at least 360/2M degrees.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The optoelectronic device of claim 6, wherein a duty cycle of each of the clock pulses of the x-th control signal and the (x+1)-th control signal is equal to or less than 1/2M.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the photodetector further comprises 2N first counter-doped regions, wherein each of said 2N first counter-doped regions overlaps with at least a portion of a corresponding carrier control region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The optoelectronic device of claim 8, wherein the photodetector further comprises 2N second counter-doped regions, each of the 2N second counter-doped regions overlaps with at least a portion of a corresponding carrier collection region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the photodetector further comprises a doped region in the light-absorption region and of a third conductivity type that is a same type as the first conductivity type.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a light-absorption area in the light-absorption region, wherein the 2N readout contact layers are symmetric relative to the light-absorption area.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The optoelectronic device of claim 11, wherein the 2N control contact layers are symmetric relative to the light-absorption area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a substrate supporting the photodetector, wherein at least one of the 2N readout contact layers or at least one of the 2N control contact layers are is on the substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a substrate supporting the photodetector, wherein the 2N readout contact layers and the 2N control contact layers are on the substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a light-absorption area in the light-absorption region and defined by a light shield, wherein the light-absorption area is hexagonal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the light-absorption region comprises germanium.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein photodetector further comprises a blocking layer surrounding at least a part of the light-absorption region, wherein the blocking layer is of the second conductivity type.