Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image sensor and a method of making the image sensor. The image sensor may comprise one or more packages of semiconductor radiation detectors. Each of the one or more packages may comprise a radiation detector that comprises a radiation absorption layer on a first strip of semiconductor wafer and an electronics layer on a second strip of semiconductor wafer. The radiation absorption layer may be continuous along the first strip of semiconductor wafer with no coverage gap. The first strip and the second strip may be longitudinally aligned and bonded together. The radiation detector may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) and electrically connected to the PCB close to an edge of the radiation detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method, comprising: capturing via an exposure a first image with a first radiation detector which comprises a first active area and a first dummy area, wherein the first dummy area is disposed between application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips of the first radiation detector, and wherein the first image comprises (A) first regular picture elements corresponding to the first active area and (B) first dummy picture elements corresponding to the first dummy area; and determining values of the first dummy picture elements based on values of the first regular picture elements.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image sensor comprising: a plurality of X-ray detectors; an actuator configured to move the plurality of X-ray detectors to a plurality of positions along a direction, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture, by using the detectors, images of portions of a scene at the positions, respectively; wherein each image of the portion has at least one edge that is at an angle with the direction; and wherein the image sensor is configured to form an image of the scene by stitching the images of the portions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a radiation detector and a method of making it. The radiation detector is configured to absorb radiation particles incident on a semiconductor single crystal of the radiation detector and to generate charge carriers. The semiconductor single crystal may be a CdZnTe single crystal or a CdTe single crystal. The method may comprise forming a recess into a substrate of semiconductor; forming a semiconductor single crystal in the recess; and forming a heavily doped semiconductor region in the substrate. The semiconductor single crystal has a different composition from the substrate. The heavily doped region is in electrical contact with the semiconductor single crystal and embedded in a portion of intrinsic semiconductor of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus, comprising: a platform configured to support a human body on a first surface of the platform; a first set of radiation detectors arranged in a first layer, wherein the radiation detectors of the first set are attached to a second surface of the platform opposite the first surface; wherein the radiation detectors of the first set are configured to detect radiation from a radiation source inside the human body.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of using an image sensor comprising N sensing areas for capturing images of a scene, the N sensing areas being physically separate from each other, the method comprising: for i=1, . . . , P, and j=1, . . . , Q(i), positioning the image sensor at a location (i,j) and capturing a partial image (i,j) of the scene using the image sensor while the image sensor is at the location (i,j), thereby capturing in total R partial images, wherein R is the sum of Q(i), i=1, . . . , P, wherein P>1, wherein Q(i), i=1, . . . , P are positive integers and are not all 1, wherein for i=1, . . . , P, a location group (i) comprises the locations (i,j), j=1, . . . , Q(i), and wherein a minimum distance between 2 locations of 2 different location groups is substantially larger than a maximum distance between two locations of a same location group; and determining a combined image of the scene based on the R partial images.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatuses for detecting radiation and methods of making them. The method comprises forming a recess into a semiconductor substrate, wherein a portion of the semiconductor substrate extends into the recess and is surrounded by the recess; depositing semiconductor nanocrystals into the recess, the semiconductor nanocrystals having a different composition from the semiconductor substrate; forming a first doped semiconductor region in the semiconductor substrate; forming a second doped semiconductor region in the semiconductor substrate; wherein the first doped semiconductor region and the second doped semiconductor region form a p-n junction that separates the portion from the rest of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a radiation detector, comprising: an avalanche photodiode (APD) with a first side coupled to an electrode and configured to work in a linear mode; a capacitor module electrically connected to the electrode and comprising a capacitor, wherein the capacitor module is configured to collect charge carriers from the electrode onto the capacitor; a current sourcing module in parallel to the capacitor, the current sourcing module configured to compensate for a leakage current in the APD and comprising a current source and a modulator; wherein the current source is configured to output a first electrical current and a second electrical current; wherein the modulator is configured to control a ratio of a duration at which the current source outputs the first electrical current to a duration at which the current source outputs the second electrical current.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method, comprising sending radiation beam groups (i, j), i=1, . . . , M and j=1, . . . , Ni toward a same scene, wherein each radiation beam group comprises multiple parallel fan radiation beams sent simultaneously, wherein for each value of i, the radiation beam groups (i, j), j=1, . . . , Ni are parallel to each other and are sent one group at a time, and wherein no two radiation particle paths of two respective radiation beam groups with 2 different values of i are parallel to each other; for i=1, . . . , M and j=1, . . . , Ni, capturing with radiation of the radiation beam group (i, j) a partial image (i, j) of the scene; for each value of i, stitching the partial images (i, j), j=1, . . . , Ni; and reconstructing a 3-dimensional image of the scene from the stitched images (i), i=1, . . . , M.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method, comprising: sending one by one M radiation beams (radiation beams (i), i=1, . . . , M) toward a same scene, M being an integer greater than 1; for i=1, . . . , M, capturing with a same image sensor a partial image (i) of the scene using radiation of the radiation beam (i) after the radiation of the radiation beam (i) passes through the scene; and stitching the partial images (i), i=1, . . . , M of the scene resulting in a stitched image of the scene, wherein said stitching is based on relative positions of the M radiation beams with respect to each other.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of operating a radiation detector, comprising for i=1, . . . ,N, during a transfer period (i), electrically connecting pixel (1,i) of pixels (1,j), j=1, . . . ,N of the radiation detector to a first signal processing circuit while electrically disconnecting the other N-1 pixels of the pixels (1,j), j=1, . . . ,N from the first signal processing circuit; and for i=1, . . . ,N, during the transfer period (i), transferring electrical signals from the pixel (1,i) to the first signal processing circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising: forming electrical contacts on a first surface of an epitaxial layer supported on a substrate, the first surface being opposite from the substrate; bonding the epitaxial layer to an electronics layer, wherein the first surface faces the electronics layer and the electrical contacts on the first surface are bonded to electrical contacts of the electronics layer; exposing a second surface opposite the first surface by removing the substrate; and forming a common electrode on the second surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus suitable for detecting radiation, comprising: a plurality of pixels configured to generate an electric signal upon exposure to a radiation; an electronic system configured to read out the electric signal; wherein the electronic system comprises a first memory and a second memory; wherein the first memory is configured to store a plurality of data bits representing the electric signal generated by the pixel that the first memory is associated with; wherein the electronic system is configured to transmit a subset of bits among the plurality of data bits, from the first memory to the second memory; wherein the electronic system is configured to transmit the subset of bits from the second memory to a bus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a detector having a pixel in a substrate and configured to detect radiation particles incident thereon; a first guard ring in the substrate, surrounding the pixel, and comprising a first doped semiconductor region in the substrate and a first electrically conductive layer in electrical contact to the first doped semiconductor region. The first electrically conductive layer overhangs the first doped semiconductor region toward an interior of the first guard ring.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus suitable for detecting x-ray, comprising: an X-ray absorption layer configured to generate an electrical signal from an X-ray photon incident on the X-ray absorption layer; an electronics layer comprising an electronics system configured to process or interpret the electrical signal; and an interposer chip embedded in a board of an electrically insulating material; wherein the X-ray absorption layer is bonded to the electronics layer; wherein the electronics layer is bonded to the interposer chip.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various methods of packaging a semiconductor X-ray detector. The methods may include bonding chips including an X-ray absorption layer or including both an X-ray absorption layer and an electronic layer onto another support such as an interposer substrate or a printed circuit board.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image sensor comprising: a plurality of avalanche photodiodes (APDs); wherein each of the APDs comprises a radiation absorption layer that comprises an absorption region and an amplification region; wherein the absorption region is configured to generate charge carriers therein from a particle of radiation absorbed by the radiation absorption layer; wherein the absorption region comprises an InGaAs layer sandwiched between InP layers; wherein the amplification region has an electric field therein, the electric field having a field strength sufficient to cause an avalanche of the charge carriers in the amplification region.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising: moving an image sensor along a first direction among a plurality of positions relative to a scene and capturing partial images of the scene respectively at the plurality of positions; forming an image of the scene from the partial images; wherein the image sensor has an active area and a dead zone; wherein the dead zone extends along a second direction; wherein the second direction is at an angle with the first direction; wherein each point in the scene falls on the dead zone no more than once when the image sensor is at the plurality of positions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus, comprising: an X-ray source; an X-ray detector; wherein the X-ray source is configured to direct an X-ray beam toward a surface at a glancing angle at which the X-ray beam undergoes total external reflection by the surface; wherein a first biological analyte is immobilized to the surface and a first element is attached to the first biological analyte; wherein the X-ray beam is capable of causing emission of characteristic X-rays of the first element; wherein the X-ray detector is configured to receive the characteristic X-rays of the first element but not the X-ray beam reflected by the surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method, comprising (A) shining a scene with radiation pulses (i), i=1, . . . , M, one pulse at a time, wherein M is an integer greater than 1; (B) for i=1, . . . , M, during the radiation pulse (i) and utilizing radiation of the radiation pulse (i), capturing, one by one, partial images (i,j), j=1, . . . , Ni of the scene with a same image sensor, wherein Ni, i=1, . . . , M are all integers greater than 1; (C) for i=1, . . . , M, generating an enhanced partial image (i) from the partial images (i,j), j=1, . . . , Ni by applying one or more super resolution algorithms to the partial images (i,j), j=1, . . . , Ni; and (D) stitching the enhanced partial images (i), i=1, . . . , M resulting in a stitched image of the scene.