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US 2011/0255071 A1Published application
Photonic mixer and use thereof
AssigneeSoftkinetic Sensors NV
InventorsWard VAN DER TEMPEL, Daniel VAN NIEUWENHOVE, Maarten KUIJK
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AssigneeSoftkinetic Sensors NV
InventorsWard VAN DER TEMPEL, Daniel VAN NIEUWENHOVE, Maarten KUIJK
Estimating the term…
The photonic mixer comprises a couple of an injecting contact region (3,4) for injecting the majority carrier current into the semiconductor substrate (1) and a detector region (7,8) for collecting the photocurrent. The injecting contact region (3,4) is doped with a dopant of the first conductivity type (p+) at a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor substrate (1). The detector region (7,8) is doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type (n+) opposite the first conductivity type and has a junction (11,12) with the semiconductor substrate (1), a zone of the semiconductor substrate (1) around said junction (11,12) being a depleted substrate zone (101, 102). The couple further comprises a field shaping zone (13, 14) of the first conductivity type (p−) defining a lateral edge of the couple and having a dopant concentration higher than the dopant concentration of the semiconductor substrate (1), for example between the dopant concentrations of the semiconductor substrate (1) and the injecting contact region (3,4), which field shaping zone (13, 14) is designed to limit said depleted substrate zone (101, 102) laterally.
A photonic mixer provided with a semiconductor substrate having a field area and means for generating a majority carrier current and an associated electric field in the semiconductor substrate that is doped with a first conductivity type, such that when electromagnetic radiation impinges on the substrate within said field area, pairs of majority and minority carriers are generated in the substrate, resulting in a photocurrent of the minority carriers, said substrate comprising a couple of an injecting contact region for injecting the majority carrier current into the semiconductor substrate and a detector region for collecting the photocurrent, which injecting contact region is doped with a dopant of the first conductivity type at a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor substrate, and which detector region is doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and that has a junction with the semiconductor substrate, a zone of the semiconductor substrate around said junction being a depleted substrate zone, wherein said couple further comprises a field shaping zone of the first conductivity type defining a lateral edge of the couple and having a dopant concentration higher than the dopant concentrations of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the field shaping zone is designed to limit said depleted substrate zone laterally.
A photonic mixer provided with a semiconductor substrate having a field area and means for generating a majority carrier current and an associated electric field in the semiconductor substrate that is doped with a first conductivity type, such that when electromagnetic radiation impinges on the substrate within said field area, pairs of majority and minority carriers are generated in the substrate, resulting in a photocurrent of the minority carriers, said substrate comprising a couple of an injecting contact region for injecting the majority carrier current into the semiconductor substrate and a detector region for collecting the photocurrent, which injecting contact region is doped with a dopant of the first conductivity type at a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor substrate, and which detector region is doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type and has a junction with the semiconductor substrate, a zone of the semiconductor substrate around said junction being a depleted substrate zone, wherein the detector region is ring shaped and extends around the injecting contact region, a field shaping zone of the first conductivity type with a dopant concentration higher than that of the semiconductor substrate extending laterally around the detector region.
A photonic mixer provided with a semiconductor substrate having a field area and means for generating a majority carrier current and an associated electric field in the semiconductor substrate that is doped with a first conductivity type, such that when electromagnetic radiation impinges on the substrate within said field area, pairs of majority and minority carriers are generated in the substrate, resulting in a photocurrent of the minority carriers, said substrate comprising a couple of an injecting contact region for injecting the majority carrier current into the semiconductor substrate and a detector region for collecting the photocurrent, which injecting contact region is doped with a dopant of the first conductivity type at a higher dopant concentration than the semiconductor substrate, and which detector region is doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type and has a junction with the semiconductor substrate, a zone of the semiconductor substrate around said junction being a depleted substrate zone, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises an active layer with a first side and an opposed second side, wherein said detector region and said injecting contact region are located at the first side and a contact for collecting the majority carrier current is located at the opposed second side of the active layer.
A system for measurement of a distance to an object, in particular for a time of flight (TOF) application, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.