And manufacturing methods of SWIR I2TUBE via heterogeneous wafer integration
AssigneeL3Harris Technologies, Inc.
InventorBed Pantha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photocathode is formed with a first absorber assembly on a first substrate for a first spectral band and a second absorber assembled on a second substrate for a second spectral band. The second substrate is different from the first substrate, and the second spectral band is different from the first spectral band. The first absorber and the second absorber can be joined using a direct semiconductor wafer bonding process. The integration of a second absorber such as an SWIR absorber layer can extend the spectral response of image intensifier tubes.
Claims19
A method of forming a photocathode, the method comprising:
- (a) assembling a first absorber on a first substrate for a first spectral band;
- (b) assembling a second absorber on a second substrate for a second spectral band, wherein the second substrate is different from the first substrate, and wherein the second spectral band is different from the first spectral band;
- and
- (c) joining the first absorber and the second absorber using a direct semiconductor wafer bonding process.
A method of forming a photocathode, the method comprising:
- growing a first photocathode wafer on a GaAs substrate, the first photocathode wafer initially including a near infrared (NIR) absorber layer along with a first etch stop layer and a window layer;
- growing a second photocathode wafer on an InP substrate, the second photocathode wafer initially including a short-wave infrared (SWIR) absorber layer along with a second etch stop layer and a barrier layer;
- integrating the first and second photocathode wafers via a direct semiconductor wafer bonding process;
- removing the first and second etch stop layers;
- and
- bonding an input faceplate to the integrated first and second photocathode wafers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.