Balanced drive photosensitive pixel and method of operating the same
AssigneeOvonic Imaging Systems, Inc.
InventorYair Baron
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Abstract
A photosensitive pixel includes a photogenerative element interconnected with a group of at least two series connected blocking elements, at a nodal point between the blocking elements. In a preferred embodiment, the capacitances of the individual blocking elements are substantially equal thereby enabling capacitive kick during the reading of the pixel to be reduced. The invention may be readily adapted to provide both linear and two dimensional pixel arrays having high accuracy, fast read times and high resolution. A method of operating the pixel using balanced driving signals is also disclosed.
Claims16
A method of addressing at least one photosensitive pixel adapted to photogenerate a detectable electrical signal responsive to the quantity of radiation incident thereupon;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of first address line pairs;
- providing a plurality of additional address lines spaced from and crossing said first address line pairs at an angle to form a plurality of cross over points therebetween;
- electrically interconnecting, in nonopposing series relation, a pair of discrete isolation means about a common nodal point and between said address line pairs;
- said isolation means being of the type which provide a low impedence to current flow when forward biased into an on condition;
- providing a photosensitive element between each of said nodal points and the associated additional address line;
- applying an operating potential of a given magnitude and polarity to a one of said first address line pairs and applying an operating potential substantially equal in magnitude and opposite in polarity to the other of said first address line pairs for biasing said isolation means into said on condition to facilitate the detection of the charge photogenerated by each of said photosensitive elements;
- and
- applying a charging potential to additional address lines during the application of said first operating potentials to said address line pairs to read the photogenerated electric charge in respective photosensitive elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.