Patents by Inventor Christoph H. Grein
Christoph H. Grein has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11674077Abstract: A process for the post-deposition treatment of colloidal quantum dot films to improve photodetector performance. A colloidal quantum dot film is first deposited on a suitable substrate or device structure, given a ligand exchange, and then allowed to dry into a completed film. Next, a solution is prepared consisting of dilute H2O2 mixed with a polar solvent such as isopropyl alcohol solution. The prepared film and substrate are then immersed into the prepared solution over a set interval of time. After which, the film is removed and rinsed with solvent, then dried with clean N2 gas. After this treatment, the colloidal quantum dot film is ready for use as a photodetector.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2020Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Anthony Joseph Ciani, Richard Edward Pimpinella, Christopher Frank Buurma, Jered Feldman, Christoph H. Grein
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Publication number: 20230072648Abstract: A photon avalanche diode, includes a quartz substrate, a doped HgCdTe contact layer on the substrate, an absorbing HgCdTe layer on the contact layer, a larger bandgap HgCdTe layer on the absorbing layer, a doped HgCdTe layer for a top contact layer on the larger bandgap HgCdTe layer, and a non-absorbing HgCdTe metasurface on the top contact layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Paul Boieriu, Srinivasan Krishnamurthy, Christoph H Grein
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Patent number: 11528442Abstract: A photodetector device is provided that includes a ROIC having a top surface with a plurality of electrically conductive first electrodes within a pattern of surface areas on the top surface each surface area having a border, and an electrically conductive electrode grid having a portion on the border of each of the surface areas; and a photodetector film overlying the surface area. The electrode grid can be configured to surround each surface area to define the borders of the surface areas as pixels. The photodetector film can be a colloidal quantum dot film. The ROIC has circuit elements signal-connected to the plurality of first electrodes. Methods for forming the photodetector device include photolithography and deposition methods.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Richard Edward Pimpinella, Anthony Joseph Ciani, Christoph H. Grein
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Publication number: 20210207023Abstract: A process for the post-deposition treatment of colloidal quantum dot films to improve photodetector performance. A colloidal quantum dot film is first deposited on a suitable substrate or device structure, given a ligand exchange, and then allowed to dry into a completed film. Next, a solution is prepared consisting of dilute H2O2 mixed with a polar solvent such as isopropyl alcohol solution. The prepared film and substrate are then immersed into the prepared solution over a set interval of time. After which, the film is removed and rinsed with solvent, then dried with clean N2 gas. After this treatment, the colloidal quantum dot film is ready for use as a photodetector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2020Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Anthony Joseph Ciani, Richard Edward Pimpinella, Christopher Frank Buurma, Jered Feldman, Christoph H. Grein
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Publication number: 20210195129Abstract: A photodetector device is provided that includes a ROIC having a top surface with a plurality of electrically conductive first electrodes within a pattern of surface areas on the top surface each surface area having a border, and an electrically conductive electrode grid having a portion on the border of each of the surface areas; and a photodetector film overlying the surface area. The electrode grid can be configured to surround each surface area to define the borders of the surface areas as pixels. The photodetector film can be a colloidal quantum dot film. The ROIC has circuit elements signal-connected to the plurality of first electrodes. Methods for forming the photodetector device include photolithography and deposition methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2019Publication date: June 24, 2021Applicant: Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Richard Edward Pimpinella, Anthony Joseph Ciani, Christoph H. Grein
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Patent number: 10840405Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided to generate and introduce hydrogen from an inductively coupled plasma system into a type II superlattice wafer. The type II superlattice wafer can contain a number of detectors formed on one of its faces. The process can use hydrogen plasma with a total chamber pressure of 20-300 mTorr, a hydrogen gas flow of 50-100 sccm, an ICP power of 100-900 W, a secondary RF power of 15-90 W, and a process duration adjusted to maximize the benefit of hydrogenation (typically between several tens and several hundreds of seconds). The process can introduce a secondary gas to facilitate the plasma ignition, hydrogen ionization and recombination processes or hydrogen diffusion and impingement onto the type II superlattice wafer.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Paul Boieriu, Christoph H Grein
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Publication number: 20190131486Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided to generate and introduce hydrogen from an inductively coupled plasma system into a type II superlattice wafer. The type II superlattice wafer can contain a number of detectors formed on one of its faces. The process can use hydrogen plasma with a total chamber pressure of 20-300 mTorr, a hydrogen gas flow of 50-100 sccm, an ICP power of 100-900 W, a secondary RF power of 15-90 W, and a process duration adjusted to maximize the benefit of hydrogenation (typically between several tens and several hundreds of seconds). The process can introduce a secondary gas to facilitate the plasma ignition, hydrogen ionization and recombination processes or hydrogen diffusion and impingement onto the type II superlattice wafer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Inventors: Paul Boieriu, Christoph H Grein
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Patent number: 8072801Abstract: A method of forming a diode comprises the steps of forming an extraction region of a first conductivity type, forming an active region of a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type, and forming an exclusion region of the second conductivity type to be adjacent the active region. The active region is formed to be adjacent to the extraction region and along a reverse bias path of the extraction region and the exclusion region does not resupply minority carriers while removing majority carriers. At least one of the steps of forming the exclusion region and forming the extraction region includes the additional step of forming a barrier that substantially reduces the flow of the carriers that flow toward the active region, but does not rely on a diffusion length of the carriers to block the carriers.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2010Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: EPIR Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Silviu Velicu, Christoph H. Grein, Sivalingam Sivananthan
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Patent number: 7821807Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. An extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and extracts minority carriers from the active region. It also has majority carriers within the extraction region flowing toward the active region in a condition of reverse bias. An exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has minority carriers within the exclusion region flowing toward the active region. It receives majority carriers from the active region. At least one of the extraction and exclusion region provides a barrier for substantially reducing flow of one of the majority carriers or the minority carriers, whichever is flowing toward the active region, while permitting flow of the other minority carriers or majority carriers flowing out of the active region.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2008Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: EPIR Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Silviu Velicu, Christoph H. Grein, Sivalingam Sivananthan
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Publication number: 20090261442Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. An extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and extracts minority carriers from the active region. It also has majority carriers within the extraction region flowing toward the active region in a condition of reverse bias. An exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has minority carriers within the exclusion region flowing toward the active region. It receives majority carriers from the active region. At least one of the extraction and exclusion region provides a barrier for substantially reducing flow of one of the majority carriers or the minority carriers, whichever is flowing toward the active region, while permitting flow of the other minority carriers or majority carriers flowing out of the active region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2008Publication date: October 22, 2009Applicant: EPIR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Christoph H. Grein, Silviu Velicu, Sivalingam Sivananthan
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Patent number: 7045378Abstract: A photosensitive diode has superlattice exclusion region formed from a stack of first and second layers. The first layers are penetrated by minority carriers using quantum mechanical tunneling and reduce minority carrier mobility. The second layers have a sufficiently low bandgap that the tunneling minority carriers can reach an active region of the diode. The process of successively forming first and second layers is repeated until the exclusion region is at least three times the minority carrier diffusion length.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2004Date of Patent: May 16, 2006Assignee: EPIR Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christoph H. Grein, Silviu Velicu, Sivalingam Sivananthan
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Patent number: 6906358Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. At least one extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the second conductivity type. Carriers of the second conductivity type are extracted from the active region and into the extraction region under a condition of reverse bias. At least one exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the first conductivity type. The exclusion region prevents entry of its minority carriers, which are of the second conductivity type, into the active region while in a condition of reverse bias. The exclusion region includes a superlattice with a plurality of layers.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignee: EPIR Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christoph H. Grein, Silviu Velicu, Sivalingam Sivananthan
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Publication number: 20040150002Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. At least one extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the second conductivity type. Carriers of the second conductivity type are extracted from the active region and into the extraction region under a condition of reverse bias. At least one exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has a majority carrier of the first conductivity type. The exclusion region prevents entry of its minority carriers, which are of the second conductivity type, into the active region while in a condition of reverse bias. The exclusion region includes a superlattice with a plurality of layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Applicant: SMART PIXEL, INC.Inventors: Christoph H. Grein, Silviu Velicu, Sivalingam Sivananthan