Solid state optical shutter

An optical shutter comprising:

• a photodiode which receives light an produces charge carriers;
• a LED which receives the charge carriers and produces light responsive to the carriers;
• a gate which gates the flow of carriers from the photodiode to the LED;
• and
• a transparent, conductive layer between the photodiode and the gate;
• wherein said photodiode, LED, gate and conductive layer form a monolithic structure.

A method for producing an optoelectronic device, comprising:

• providing a generally planar substrate made of semiconductor material, having input and output faces;
• producing a planar photodiode proximate the input face, external to the gate layer;
• producing a LED proximate the output face, external to the gate layer;
• producing a gate layer within the substrate between the input and output faces, which gate layer gates the flow of carriers between the photodiode and the LED;
• and
• depositing transparent, conductive coatings on the input and output faces.

An integrated image detection device, comprising:

• an optical detector array, having a front surface;
• and
• a solid state optoelectronic shutter having an input face and an output face, comprising a semiconductor material, having formed thereon or therein:
• a planar photodiode, having a planar surface, and optically communicating with the input face;
• a planar LED layer, having a planar surface substantially parallel to the planar photodiode, and optically communicating with the output face;
• and
• a planar gate layer, intermediate the planar photodiode and the planar LED which gate layer controls carrier flow between the photodiode and the LED;
• said shutter being optically coupled to the front surface of the array so as to modulate light incident on the array through the shutter.

An integrated image detection device, comprising:

• a monolithic solid state optical shutter having an input face and an output face, comprising a semiconductor material, having formed thereon or therein:
• a photodiode which receives light and produces charge carriers;
• a LED which receives the charge carriers and produces light responsive to the carriers;
• and
• a gate which gates the flow of carriers from the photodiode to the LED;
• and
• an optical detector array, having a front surface which receives light from the LED.

A method for producing an integrated imaging device, comprising:

• providing an optoelectronic shutter having an input face and an output face;
• and
• optically coupling the shutter to a front surface of an optical detector array, said shutter comprising:
• a planar photodiode, having a planar surface, and optically communicating with the input face;
• a planar LED layer, having a planar surface substantially parallel to the planar photodiode, and optically communicating with the output face;
• and
• a planar gate layer, intermediate the planar photodiode and the planar LED which modulates or switches a flow of carriers from the photodiode to the LED.

A method for producing an integrated imaging device, comprising:

• providing an optoelectronic shutter having an input face and an output face;
• and
• optically coupling the shutter with respect to a front surface of an optical detector array, said shutter comprising:
• a photodiode which receives light and produces charge carriers;
• a LED which receives the charge carriers and produces light responsive to the carriers;
• and
• a gate which gates the flow of carriers from the photodiode to the LED to modulate or switch the light output of the LED.