Back to results
US 4,786,335 AGranted
Infra-red detector
AssigneeThe Marconi Company Limited
InventorsPeter Knowles, Graham T. Jenkin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel multilayer photoconductive I.R. detector is formed by incorporating alternate p and n-type layers, such that many layers occupy the detector thickness. The detector may be considered as a n-type photoconductor containing buried isolated p-type regions which give rise to internal electric fields the effect of which is to enhance minority carrier lifetime and inhibit motion of minority carriers towards surfaces.
Claims11
A photodetector comprising:
- (a) a multiplicity of superimposed thin epitaxial layers of semiconducting material deposited on a substrate, said layers being at least partially transmissive to exciting radiation,
- (b) a pair of metallic contacts located adjacent opposite edges of said multiplicity of superimposed layers, and
- (c) means for directing said exciting radiation onto said multiplicity of superimposed thin epitaxial layers to generate photoexcited carriers within said layers,
- wherein semiconducting material for isolating one set of alternate ones of said layers from the corresponding other set of alternate ones of said layers is interposed between at least alternate ones of said superimposed layers and said metallic contacts, said layers are composed of cadmium mercury telluride and said sets of alternate layers from traps between their interfaces for said photoexcited carriers.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.