Multi-chip imager

In a solid-state radiant energy imager adapted to be illuminated by means of imaging optics with an image, said imager being comprised of at least two contiguous juxtaposed solid-state imager chips in which each of said two chips includes at least one corresponding line of periodically spaced pixel detectors, the respective spacing periods of said pixel detectors of said corresponding lines of said two chips being substantially the same as one another;

• the improvement:
• wherein an end portion of one of said two chips overlaps an end portion of the other of said two chips and said two chips are joined together by a lap joint in which the extent of overlap of said two chips is arranged such that the spacing distance, between a pixel detector situated within said end portion of said one of said two chips and a pixel detector situated within said end portion of said other of said two chips, is substantially equal to that of said respective spacing periods of said corresponding lines of said two chips, so that no pixel detector gap occurs at lap joint seam, and
• wherein each of said two chips is sufficiently thinned so that radiant energy illuminating said lap joint can pass through said chips and reach all pixel detectors within said overlapped end portions of said chips with insignificant attenuation, and so that the respective depth positions of the pixel detectors of said two overlapped chips are both within the depth of focus of said imaging optics.