Abstract: This disclosure provides some examples of systems, apparatus, circuitry, methods and computer readable media associated with transmission of an ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic transducer having a pixel electrode configured to receive a reflected acoustic signal having a first phase. A switch is controlled to: switch from off to on at a time of resetting a sampling node, be on for a delay period, and switch from on to off at a time of sampling the received signal to cause a sampled signal having a second phase different from the first phase to be detected. A first transistor, having a gate coupled with the sampling node, an input configured to receive a power signal, and an output coupled with a data line, is controlled to enable an output current to flow from the input to the output at a time of reading the sampled signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficiently increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of a biometric sampling system by implementing differential-sampling in successive differential-sampling operations and processing the output of the successive differential-sampling operations to create a biometric image. In some cases, the biometric image may be further noise-reduced by subtracting foreground-off and background-off data.

Abstract: This disclosure provides some examples of systems, apparatus, circuitry, methods and computer readable media associated with transmission of an ultrasonic signal using an ultrasonic transducer having a pixel electrode configured to receive a reflected acoustic signal having a first phase. A switch is controlled to: switch from off to on at a time of resetting a sampling node, be on for a delay period, and switch from on to off at a time of sampling the received signal to cause a sampled signal having a second phase different from the first phase to be detected. A first transistor, having a gate coupled with the sampling node, an input configured to receive a power signal, and an output coupled with a data line, is controlled to enable an output current to flow from the input to the output at a time of reading the sampled signal.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a test probe for characterizing piezoelectric material. In one aspect, a test probe may include a conductive tip configured to apply force to the piezoelectric material and provide a charge signal representing charge generated by the piezoelectric material as the piezoelectric material experiences the force. A force sensor within the test probe may generate a force signal representing the force being applied. A piezoelectric coefficient d33 may be determined from the charge signal and the force signal.

Abstract: A photosensor pixel includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) photodetector. The TFT includes a gate, a gate insulator layer, a semiconductor layer forming a channel region, a drain, and a source. The MIS photodetector includes a transparent conductor layer, a semiconductor layer including a photosensitive semiconductor, and an insulator layer between the transparent conductor layer and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer of the MIS photodetector is connected to the source or the drain of the TFT, and the thickness of the insulator layer of the MIS photodetector is less than the thickness of the gate insulator layer of the TFT.

Abstract: A photosensor pixel includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) photodetector. The TFT includes a gate, a gate insulator layer, a semiconductor layer forming a channel region, a drain, and a source. The MIS photodetector includes a transparent conductor layer, a semiconductor layer including a photosensitive semiconductor, and an insulator layer between the transparent conductor layer and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer of the MIS photodetector is connected to the source or the drain of the TFT, and the thickness of the insulator layer of the MIS photodetector is less than the thickness of the gate insulator layer of the TFT.

Abstract: A method for extracting photon depth of interaction information in a positron emission tomography system is provided. A pulse is detected in a photodetector. A height of the pulse is measured. A determination of whether the pulse height is within a set range is made. Photon depth of interaction is extracted from the pulse height. An energy of interaction is calculated from the pulse height and calibration data. The extracted photon depth and calculated energy spectrum are used in image reconstruction.

Abstract: A sensor array including sensor pixels is disclosed. A sensor pixel includes a detector and a readout circuit operatively coupled to the detector. The readout circuit includes at least one readout element formed from an amorphous metal oxide alloy semiconductor. Also disclosed is an image detector panel including a sensor array with sensor pixels arranged into rows and columns. The image detector panel includes a gate driver module configured to address rows of the sensor array, and a multiplexing module configured to select columns of the sensor array and multiplex signals from the sensor pixels. The gate driver module and the multiplexing module include elements formed from an amorphous metal oxide alloy semiconductor.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor pixel and fingerprint imaging device are disclosed. A fingerprint sensor pixel includes a capacitive sensor and a readout circuit. The capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes in response to contact with a fingerprint. The readout circuit includes a first thin film transistor (TFT) used to convert the capacitance of the capacitive sensor to a representative current, a coupling capacitor used to capacitively couple a readout pulse to the gate of the said second TFT sharing the connection with the capacitive sensor pixel, and a second TFT used to reset the voltage of the capacitive sensor. Multiple fingerprint sensor pixels can be arranged in an array to form a fingerprint imaging device.

Abstract: Detection of ionizing radiation with modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFETs) is provided. There are two effects which can occur, separately or together. The first effect is a direct effect of ionizing radiation on the mobility of electrons in the 2-D electron gas (2DEG) of the MODFET. An ionizing radiation absorption event in or near the MODFET channel can perturb the 2DEG mobility to cause a measurable effect on the device conductance. The second effect is accumulation of charge generated by ionizing radiation on a buried gate of a MODFET. The conductance of the MODFET can be made sensitive to this accumulated charge, thereby providing detection of ionizing radiation. 1-D or 2-D arrays of MODFET detectors can be employed to provide greater detection area and/or spatial resolution of absorption events. Such detectors or detector pixels can be integrated with electronics, such as front-end amplification circuitry.

Abstract: A method for extracting photon depth of interaction information in a positron emission tomography system is provided. A pulse is detected in a photodetector. A height of the pulse is measured. A determination of whether the pulse height is within a set range is made. Photon depth of interaction is extracted from the pulse height. An energy of interaction is calculated from the pulse height and calibration data. The extracted photon depth and calculated energy spectrum are used in image reconstruction.

Abstract: The present invention discloses structure of a two-gate field effect transistor (FET), named as charge gated FET, and presents various active pixel sensor (APS) and multimode architectures using the device which has only one, or two on-pixel transistors for high resolution, high gain and fast frame rate APS arrays. It is also disclosed a new method of addressing pixels of an APS array by applying the addressing voltage pulse directly to the gate of the amplifying transistor of the pixel architecture, eliminating the row select transistor from the pixel circuit.

Abstract: Detection of ionizing radiation with modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFETs) is provided. There are two effects which can occur, separately or together. The first effect is a direct effect of ionizing radiation on the mobility of electrons in the 2-D electron gas (2DEG) of the MODFET. An ionizing radiation absorption event in or near the MODFET channel can perturb the 2DEG mobility to cause a measurable effect on the device conductance. The second effect is accumulation of charge generated by ionizing radiation on a buried gate of a MODFET. The conductance of the MODFET can be made sensitive to this accumulated charge, thereby providing detection of ionizing radiation. 1-D or 2-D arrays of MODFET detectors can be employed to provide greater detection area and/or spatial resolution of absorption events. Such detectors or detector pixels can be integrated with electronics, such as front-end amplification circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention provides digital imaging architectures comprising detectors coupled to readout circuitry, wherein the readout circuitry is capable of providing large amplification to small, noise sensitive input signals to improve their noise immunity, as well as capable of providing a fast pixel readout time. The readout circuitry comprises an on-pixel amplification transistor as well as additional transistors used to read out the amplified signal and/or to reset the amplified output signal stored by a portion of the circuit prior to reading a subsequent signal. The present invention also provides readout circuitry that is capable of providing large amplification and thus additional noise immunity to the input signal from the detector by implementing another amplification stage within the readout circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention discloses structure of a two-gate field effect transistor (FET), named as charge gated FET, and presents various active pixel sensor (APS) and multimode architectures using the device which has only one, or two on-pixel transistors for high resolution, high gain and fast frame rate APS arrays. It is also disclosed a new method of addressing pixels of an APS array by applying the addressing voltage pulse directly to the gate of the amplifying transistor of the pixel architecture, eliminating the row select transistor from the pixel circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides digital imaging architectures comprising detectors coupled to readout circuitry, wherein the readout circuitry is capable of providing large amplification to small, noise sensitive input signals to improve their noise immunity, as well as capable of providing a fast pixel readout time. The readout circuitry comprises an on-pixel amplification transistor as well as additional transistors used to read out the amplified signal and/or to reset the amplified output signal stored by a portion of the circuit prior to reading a subsequent signal. The present invention also provides readout circuitry that is capable of providing large amplification and thus additional noise immunity to the input signal from the detector by implementing another amplification stage within the readout circuitry.