Abstract: Image processing apparatus and image processing method are provided. The image processing apparatus may include an image sensor having a plurality of photodetectors and include a 3D image calculating module. The image sensor may be configured to generate a first set of input information at a first time/first location and a second set of input information at a second time/second location, where the first set of input information may be associated with a first weighting value, and the second set of input information may be associated with a second weighting value. The 3D image calculating module may be configured to generate output information based on the first and the second sets of input information and the first and the second weighting values, wherein at least one of the plurality of photodetectors includes germanium.

Abstract: A photo-detecting apparatus is provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes at least one pixel, and each pixel includes N subpixels, wherein each of the subpixels comprises a detection region, two first conductive contacts, wherein the detection region is between the two first conductive contacts, wherein N is a positive integer and is ?2.

Abstract: Methods and devices for a display apparatus. In one aspect, a display apparatus includes a display device including a transparent layer, a display integrated circuit layer including one or more display control circuits, and a shielding layer between the transparent layer and the display integrated circuit layer, a near-infrared (NIR) light source and a visible light source, and a detector device including a detector integrated circuit layer including one or more detector control circuits, where a surface of the detector device contacts a surface of the display device, and a photodetector electrically coupled to at least one detector control circuit and including a detection region positioned to receive NIR light propagating from a front side of the display device to a back side of the display device along a path, where the shielding layer includes a filter region positioned in the path.

Abstract: An optical sensing apparatus is provided. The optical sensing apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate composed of a first material; a transmitter-receiver set supported by the semiconductor substrate and including: (1) a photodetector includes an absorption region composed of a second material including germanium and configured to receive an optical signal and to generate photo-carriers in response to the optical signal; and (2) a light source including a light-emitting region composed of a third material including germanium and configured to emit a light toward a target; wherein the absorption region includes at least a property different from a property of the light-emitting region, wherein the property includes strain, conductivity type, peak doping concentration, or a ratio of the peak doping concentration to a peak doping concentration of the semiconductor substrate; wherein the first material is different from the second material and the third material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical communication are provided. For instance, a method for optical communication can include receiving, by a first coupling module, a power-on signal from a first electronic device coupled to the first coupling module. The method can also include relaying, by the first coupling module, a first optical signal to a second coupling module coupled to a second electronic device. The method can also include relaying, by the second coupling module, in response to receipt of the first optical signal, a second optical signal to the first coupling module. The method can also include activating, by the first coupling module, in response to receipt of the second optical signal, a data transfer circuit for relaying data via an optical communication interface between the first coupling module and the second coupling module.

Abstract: Methods and devices for a display apparatus. In one aspect, a display apparatus includes a display device including a transparent layer, a display integrated circuit layer including one or more display control circuits, and a shielding layer between the transparent layer and the display integrated circuit layer, a near-infrared (NIR) light source and a visible light source, and a detector device including a detector integrated circuit layer including one or more detector control circuits, where a surface of the detector device contacts a surface of the display device, and a photodetector electrically coupled to at least one detector control circuit and including a detection region positioned to receive NIR light propagating from a front side of the display device to a back side of the display device along a path, where the shielding layer includes a filter region positioned in the path.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for multi-application optical sensing are provided. For example, an optical sensing apparatus can include a photodetector array, a first circuitry, and a second circuitry. The photodetector array includes a plurality of photodetectors, wherein a first subset of the plurality of photodetectors are configured as a first region for detecting a first optical signal, and a second subset of the plurality of photodetectors are configured as a second region for detecting a second optical signal. The first circuitry, coupled to the first region, is configured to perform a first function based on the first optical signal to output a first output result. The second circuitry, coupled to the second region, is configured to perform a second function based on the second optical signal to output a second output result.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an optical sensor includes: forming, over a substrate, a first material layer comprising a first alloy of germanium and silicon having a first germanium composition; forming, over the first material layer, a graded material layer comprising germanium and silicon; and forming, over the graded material layer, a second material layer comprising a second alloy of germanium and silicon having a second germanium composition. The first germanium composition is lower than the second germanium composition and a germanium composition of the graded material layer is between the first germanium composition and the second germanium composition and varies along a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical communication are provided. For instance, a method for optical communication can include receiving, by a first coupling module, a power-on signal from a first electronic device coupled to the first coupling module. The method can also include relaying, by the first coupling module, a first optical signal to a second coupling module coupled to a second electronic device. The method can also include relaying, by the second coupling module, in response to receipt of the first optical signal, a second optical signal to the first coupling module. The method can also include activating, by the first coupling module, in response to receipt of the second optical signal, a data transfer circuit for relaying data via an optical communication interface between the first coupling module and the second coupling module.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for improved reconfigurable optical sensing are provided. For instance, an example optical sensing apparatus can include a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors. The optical sensing apparatus can include circuitry or one or more processing devices configured to receive one or more electrical signals representing an optical signal received by a first subset of the plurality of photodetectors; determine, based on the one or more electrical signals, a region of interest in the photodetector array for optical measurements; and deactivate, based on the region of interest, a second subset of the plurality of photodetectors of the photodetector array.

Abstract: Structures and techniques introduced here enable the design and fabrication of photodetectors (PDs) and/or other electronic circuits using typical semiconductor device manufacturing technologies meanwhile reducing the adverse impacts on PDs' performance. Examples of the various structures and techniques introduced here include, but not limited to, a pre-PD homogeneous wafer bonding technique, a pre-PD heterogeneous wafer bonding technique, a post-PD wafer bonding technique, their combinations, and a number of mirror equipped PD structures. With the introduced structures and techniques, it is possible to implement PDs using typical direct growth material epitaxy technology while reducing the adverse impact of the defect layer at the material interface caused by lattice mismatch.

Abstract: A photodetecting device is provided. The photodetecting device includes a first photodetecting component including a substrate having a first absorption region configured to absorb photons having a first peak wavelength and to generate first photo-carriers, and a second photodetecting component including a second absorption region configured to absorb photons having a second peak wavelength different from the first peak wavelength and to generate second photo-carriers. The first photodetecting component further includes two first readout circuits and two first control circuits for the first photo-carriers and electrically coupled to the first absorption region.

Abstract: Structures and techniques introduced here enable the design and fabrication of photodetectors (PDs) and/or other electronic circuits using typical semiconductor device manufacturing technologies meanwhile reducing the adverse impacts on PDs' performance. Examples of the various structures and techniques introduced here include, but not limited to, a pre-PD homogeneous wafer bonding technique, a pre-PD heterogeneous wafer bonding technique, a post-PD wafer bonding technique, their combinations, and a number of mirror equipped PD structures. With the introduced structures and techniques, it is possible to implement PDs using typical direct growth material epitaxy technology while reducing the adverse impact of the defect layer at the material interface caused by lattice mismatch.

Abstract: A photodetecting device for detecting different wavelengths includes a first photodetecting component including a substrate and a second photodetecting component including second absorption region. The substrate includes a first absorption region configured to absorb photons having a first peak wavelength and to generate first photo-carriers. The second absorption region is supported by the substrate and configured to absorb photons having a second peak wavelength and to generate second photo-carriers. The first absorption region and the second absorption region are overlapped along a vertical direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical communication are provided. For instance, a method for optical communication can include receiving, by a first coupling module, a power-on signal from a first electronic device coupled to the first coupling module. The method can also include relaying, by the first coupling module, a first optical signal to a second coupling module coupled to a second electronic device. The method can also include relaying, by the second coupling module, in response to receipt of the first optical signal, a second optical signal to the first coupling module. The method can also include activating, by the first coupling module, in response to receipt of the second optical signal, a data transfer circuit for relaying data via an optical communication interface between the first coupling module and the second coupling module.

Abstract: Methods and devices for a display apparatus. In one aspect, a display apparatus includes a display device including a transparent layer, a display integrated circuit layer including one or more display control circuits, and a shielding layer between the transparent layer and the display integrated circuit layer, a near-infrared (NIR) light source and a visible light source, and a detector device including a detector integrated circuit layer including one or more detector control circuits, where a surface of the detector device contacts a surface of the display device, and a photodetector electrically coupled to at least one detector control circuit and including a detection region positioned to receive NIR light propagating from a front side of the display device to a back side of the display device along a path, where the shielding layer includes a filter region positioned in the path.

Abstract: A photo-detecting apparatus is provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes a carrier conducting layer having a first surface; an absorption region is doped with a first dopant having a first conductivity type and a first peak doping concentration, wherein the carrier conducting layer is doped with a second dopant having a second conductivity type and a second peak doping concentration, wherein the carrier conducting layer comprises a material different from a material of the absorption region, wherein the carrier conducting layer is in contact with the absorption region to form at least one heterointerface, wherein a ratio between the first peak doping concentration of the absorption region and the second peak doping concentration of the carrier conducting layer is equal to or greater than 10; and a first electrode and a second electrode both formed over the first surface of the carrier conducting layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing objects are provided. A sensing apparatus can include a sensor comprising a photo-detecting unit configured to absorb (i) a first incident light having a first wavelength to generate a first detecting signal and (ii) a second incident light having a second wavelength to generate a second detecting signal. The sensing apparatus can further include a calculation circuit coupled to the sensor. The calculation circuit can be configured to output a calculating result according to the first detecting signal and the second detecting signal. The sensing apparatus can further include an adjustment circuit coupled to the calculation circuit. The adjustment circuit can be configured to perform an adjustment to one or more functionalities associated with the sensing apparatus according to the calculating result.

Abstract: A photo-detecting apparatus is provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes: a substrate made by a first material or a first material-composite; an absorption layer made by a second material or a second material-composite, the absorption layer being supported by the substrate and the absorption layer including: a first surface; a second surface arranged between the first surface and the substrate; and a channel region having a dopant profile with a peak dopant concentration equal to or more than 1×1015 cm?3, wherein a distance between the first surface and a location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is less than a distance between the second surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration, and wherein the distance between the first surface and the location of the channel region having the peak dopant concentration is not less than 30 nm.

Abstract: Methods and devices for a display apparatus. In one aspect, a display apparatus includes a display device including a transparent layer, a display integrated circuit layer including one or more display control circuits, and a shielding layer between the transparent layer and the display integrated circuit layer, a near-infrared (NIR) light source and a visible light source, and a detector device including a detector integrated circuit layer including one or more detector control circuits, where a surface of the detector device contacts a surface of the display device, and a photodetector electrically coupled to at least one detector control circuit and including a detection region positioned to receive NIR light propagating from a front side of the display device to a back side of the display device along a path, where the shielding layer includes a filter region positioned in the path.