Patents Examined by Reg Ratliff
  • Patent number: 4972245
    Abstract: An intermediate layer made of an Si.sub.1-X Ge.sub.X mixed crystal layer is formed on an Si crystal substrate, where the character X denotes a value in the range of 0 to 1. The intermediate layer is connected to the substrate via a heterojunction generating a first heterojunction barrier. An Si crystal layer is formed on the intermediate layer and is connected to the intermediate layer via a heterojunction generating a second heterojunction barrier. The substrate, the intermediate layer, and the Si layer form a laminated structure. The first and second heterojunction barriers form a charge storage well in an energy band of the intermediate layer. Charges in the well are excited by absorbing infrared light. The intermediate layer contains unevenly-distributed impurities whose concentration montonically varies in a direction along a thickness of the laminated structure. The variation in the concentration generates an internal electric field in the energy band of the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignees: National Space Development Agency of Japan, Foundation for Advancement of International Science
    Inventors: Eiso Yamaka, Takashi Moriyama, Tamisuke Koizumi