# US 2019/0172964 A1 · Optical sensor and detector for an optical detection

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- Number: US 2019/0172964 A1
- Document ID: US20190172964A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/321,143
- Filed: 2017-07-27
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29
- Assignees: Trinamix GmbH
- Applicants: trinamiX GmbH
- Inventors: Wilfried HERMES; Sebastian VALOUCH; Robert SEND; Ingmar BRUDER; Bertram FEUERSTEIN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190172964A1

## CPC

- H10F 30/15: {comprising amorphous semiconductors}
- G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone}
- G01S 17/46: Indirect determination of position data
- G01S 17/48: Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
- H10F 30/10: the devices being sensitive to infrared radiation, visible or ultraviolet radiation, and having no potential barriers, e.g. photoresistors
- H10F 39/191: {Photoconductor image sensors}
- H10F 39/192: {Colour image sensors}
- H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00)
- H10F 71/128: {Annealing}
- H10F 77/127: {comprising only Group IV-VI or only Group II-IV-VI chalcogenide materials, e.g. PbSnTe}
- H10F 77/20: Electrodes
- H10F 77/30: Coatings (arrangements for preventing damage to photovoltaic cells caused by corpuscular radiation H10F77/80)
- H10F 77/50: Encapsulations or containers (for photovoltaic modules H10F19/80)
- H10F 77/95: {Circuit arrangements}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical sensor, a detector comprising the optical sensor for an optical detection of at least one object, a method for manufacturing the optical sensor and various uses of the optical sensor and the detector. Furthermore, the invention relates to a human-machine interface, an entertainment device, a scanning system, a tracking system, a stereoscopic system, and a camera. The optical sensor (110) comprises a layer (112) of at least one photoconductive material (114), at least two individual electrical contacts (136, 136′) contacting the layer (112) of the photoconductive material (114), and a cover layer (116) deposited on the layer (112) of the photoconductive material (114), wherein the cover layer (116) is an amorphous layer comprising at least one metal-containing compound (120). The optical sensor (110) can be supplied as a non-bulkyhermetic package which, nevertheless, provides a high degree of protection against possible degradation by humidity and/or oxygen. Moreover, the cover layer (116) is capable of activating the photoconductive material (114) which results in an increased performance of the optical sensor (110). Further, the optical sensor (110) may be easily manufactured and integrated on a circuit carrier device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical sensor, comprising:
a layer of at least one photoconductive material,
at least two individual electrical contacts contacting the layer of the at least one photoconductive material, and
a cover layer deposited on the at least one photoconductive material,
wherein the cover layer is an amorphous layer comprising a metal-containing compound.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the metal-containing compound comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ta, Mn, Mo, Zr, Hf and W.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the metal-containing compound is at least one selected from the group comprising an oxide, a hydroxide, a chalcogenide, a pnictide, and a carbide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is or comprises a laminate having at least two adjacent layers, wherein the adjacent layers differ by a respective composition, and wherein at least one of the adjacent layers comprises the metal-containing compound.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a thickness of from 10 nm to 600 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is a conformal layer with respect to an adjacent surface of the layer of the at least one photoconductive material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is or comprises an atomic deposition layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is at least partially coated with at least one additional layer and/or wherein the at least one additional layer is at least partially deposited between the layer of the at least one photoconductive material and the cover layer, and wherein the additional layer is or comprises at least one of an anti-reflective layer, an optical filter layer, an encapsulating layer, a scratch-resistant layer, a hydrophilic layer, a hydrophobic layer, a self-cleaning layer, an anti-fog layer, a high-permittivity layer, or a conductive layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the layer of the at least one photoconductive material is directly or indirectly applied to at least one substrate, and wherein at least one of the substrate and the cover layer is optically transparent within a wavelength range.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photoconductive material comprises at least one chalcogenide, and wherein the chalcogenide is selected from the group consisting of a sulfide chalcogenide, a selenide chalcogenide, a telluride chalcogenide, a ternary chalcogenide, a quaternary chalcogenide, a higher chalcogenide, a solid solution thereof, and a doped variant thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The optical sensor according to the claim 1, wherein the chalcogenide is selected from the group consisting of lead sulfide, copper indium sulfide, copper indium gallium selenide, copper zinc tin sulfide, lead selenide, copper zinc tin selenide, cadmium telluride, mercury cadmium telluride, mercury zinc telluride, lead sulfoselenide, copper-zinc-tin sulfur-selenium chalcogenide, a solid solution thereof and a doped variant thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A detector for an optical detection of at least one object, the detector comprising:
the optical sensor according to claim 1, the optical sensor comprising at least one sensor region, wherein the optical sensor is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region by a light beam; and
an evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device is designed to generate at least one coordinate of the object by evaluating the sensor signal of the optical sensor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The detector according to claim 12, wherein the sensor signal is a longitudinal sensor signal, wherein the longitudinal sensor signal, given the same total power of the illumination, is dependent on a beam cross-section of the light beam in the sensor region, wherein the longitudinal sensor signal, given the same total power of the illumination, is dependent on the beam cross-section of the light beam in the sensor region, and wherein the evaluation device is designed to generate at least one item of information on a longitudinal position of the object by evaluating the longitudinal sensor signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The detector according to claim 1, wherein the sensor signal is a transversal sensor signal, wherein the transversal sensor signal is provided by the electrical contacts contacting the at least one photoconductive material, wherein the electrical contacts are configured as at least one split electrode, wherein a bias voltage source is applicable to the at least one split electrode, and wherein the evaluation device is further designed to generate at least one item of information on a transversal position of the object by applying the bias voltage source and the at least one split electrode and by evaluating the transversal sensor signal.

### Claim 15

A method for manufacturing an optical sensor, the method comprising:
providing a layer of at least one photoconductive material;
thereafter, applying at least one precursor being adapted to react to metal-containing compound, whereby the metal-containing compound is deposited as an amorphous cover layer on the layer of the at least one photoconductive material; and
thereafter, thermally treating the amorphous cover layer;
wherein at least two electrical contacts electrically contacting the layer (112) of the at least one photoconductive material are further provided.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

A detection method, comprising:
optically detecting at least one object with the detector according to claim 12,
wherein the method is suitable for at least one selected from the group consisting of: gas sensing, fire detection, flame detection, heat detection, smoke detection, combustion monitoring, spectroscopy, temperature sensing, motion sensing, industrial monitoring, chemical sensing, exhaust gas monitoring, a distance measurement, a position measurement, an entertainment application, a security application, a human-machine interface application, a tracking application, a scanning application, stereoscopic vision, a photography application, an imaging application or camera application, a mapping application for generating maps of at least one space, a homing or tracking beacon detector for vehicles, a distance and/or position measurement of objects with a thermal signature, a machine vision application, a robotic application, and a logistics application.