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US 2012/0056074 A1Published application
Materials, systems and methods for optoelectronic devices
AssigneeInVisage Technologies, Inc.
InventorsHui Tian, Edward Sargent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photodetector is described along with corresponding materials, systems, and methods. The photodetector comprises an integrated circuit and at least two optically sensitive layers. A first optically sensitive layer is over at least a portion of the integrated circuit, and a second optically sensitive layer is over the first optically sensitive layer. Each optically sensitive layer is interposed between two electrodes. The two electrodes include a respective first electrode and a respective second electrode. The integrated circuit selectively applies a bias to the electrodes and reads signals from the optically sensitive layers. The signal is related to the number of photons received by the respective optically sensitive layer.
Claims6
A method comprising:
- providing an optically sensitive material;
- causing a current to flow through the optically sensitive material during an integration period of time by providing a voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and exposing the optically sensitive material to light, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and intensity of the light absorbed by the optically sensitive material;
- using the current flow through the optically sensitive material to discharge a portion of charge from a charge store during the integration period of time;
- varying both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material during at least a portion of the integration period;
- and
- generating a signal based on the amount of charge remaining in the charge store after the integration period of time.
3 more elements
A photodetector comprising:
- a pixel region comprising an optically sensitive material;
- pixel circuitry electrically coupled to the optically sensitive material, the pixel circuitry causing a current to flow through the optically sensitive material during an integration period of time by providing a voltage difference across the optically sensitive material when the optically sensitive material is exposed to light, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and intensity of the light absorbed by the optically sensitive material, wherein the current flow through the optically sensitive material discharges a portion of charge from a charge store during the integration period of time, wherein both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material vary during at least a portion of the integration period while the intensity of the light is substantially constant;
- and
- read out circuitry generating a signal based on the amount of charge remaining in the charge store after the integration period of time.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- providing an optically sensitive material;
- causing a current to flow through the optically sensitive material during an integration period of time by providing a voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and exposing the optically sensitive material to light, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and intensity of the light absorbed by the optically sensitive material;
- collecting charge from the current flow during the integration period of time;
- varying both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material during at least a portion of the integration period while maintaining the intensity of the light substantially constant;
- and
- generating a signal based on the charge collected during the integration period of time.
3 more elements
A photodetector comprising:
- a pixel region comprising an optically sensitive material;
- pixel circuitry electrically coupled to the optically sensitive material, the pixel circuitry causing a current to flow through the optically sensitive material during an integration period of time by providing a voltage difference across the optically sensitive material when the optically sensitive material is exposed to light, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and intensity of the light absorbed by the optically sensitive material;
- the pixel circuitry collecting charge from the current flow during the integration period of time, wherein both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material vary during at least a portion of the integration period while maintaining the intensity of the light substantially constant;
- and
- read out circuitry generating a signal based on the charge collected during the integration period of time.
2 more elements
A photodetector comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes, including at least a first electrode and a second electrode;
- an optically sensitive material between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- circuitry configured to apply a voltage difference between the first electrode and the second electrode such that current flows through the optically sensitive material during an integration period of time, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and an intensity of light absorbed by the optically sensitive material;
- the circuitry configured to vary both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material for a constant intensity of light during at least a portion of the integration period;
- a charge store in electrical communication with at least one of the electrodes, the charge store configured to provide a charge responsive to the current flow through the optically sensitive material during the integration period of time;
- and
- read out circuitry configured to generate a signal based on the charge of the charge store after the integration period of time.
4 more elements
A photodetector comprising:
- a photosensor array having a plurality of pixel regions, the pixel regions arranged into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
- each pixel region comprising at least one optically sensitive material;
- pixel circuitry for each of the respective pixel regions, the pixel circuitry for each respective pixel region configured to apply a voltage difference across the optically sensitive material for the respective pixel region, wherein the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material depends upon the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and an intensity of light absorbed by the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region;
- the pixel circuitry configured to vary both the voltage difference across the optically sensitive material and the rate of the current flow through the optically sensitive material for a constant intensity of light during at least a portion of the integration period;
- the pixel circuitry including a charge store, the charge store configured to provide a charge in response to the current flow through the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region during the integration period of time;
- the pixel circuitry including read out circuitry configured to generate a signal based on the charge of the charge store for the respective pixel region after the integration period of time;
- and
- pixel select circuitry configured to select the pixel circuitry for a subset of the pixel regions to be read out.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.