Light receiving array, method of manufacturing the array, and optical encoder using the array
AssigneeMitutoyo Corporation
InventorToshihiko Aoki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention has an object to provide a photoreceptor array with an excellent device property and no short fault between adjacent photoreceptors and to provide a method of manufacturing such the photoreceptor array with a high yield. On a transparent substrate (31), a transparent electrode (32) and a p-type amorphous silicon layer (33) are formed. An insulating layer (41) is deposited thereon to form a trench (42). In the trench (42), an i-type amorphous silicon layer (34), an n-type amorphous silicon layer (35) and an n-side electrode (36) are buried in turn to form the photoreceptor array.
Claims8
An optical encoder, comprising:
- a scale having optical gratings formed thereon along a measurement axis;
- and
- a sensor head including a photoreceptor array for detecting displacements of said scale to provide a plurality of displacement signals with different phases, said photoreceptor array including
- a substrate;
- a lower electrode formed on said substrate;
- an insulating layer formed on said substrate, said insulating layer having a plurality of trenches formed therein for burying devices;
- a plurality of photoreceptors formed from semiconductor layers buried in each of said trenches in said insulating layer, said plurality of photoreceptors each having an upper electrode formed thereon;
- and
- an output signal line formed on said plurality of photoreceptors via an interlayer insulator.
A method of manufacturing a photoreceptor array, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- forming an insulating layer on said substrate;
- forming a plurality of trenches in said insulating layer;
- forming a plurality of photoreceptors from semiconductor layers buried in each of said trenches in said insulating layer;
- and
- forming an output signal line on said plurality of photoreceptors via an interlayer insulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.