Patents by Inventor Tom Gunnar Schulman
Tom Gunnar Schulman 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: 8169522Abstract: An imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an array of pixel cells. Each pixel cell comprising an individually addressable pixel circuit for accumulating charge resulting from radiation incident on a pixel detector. The pixel circuit and the pixel detector can either be implemented on a single substrate, or on two substrates bonded together. The charge storage device can be a transistor, for example one of a pair of FET transistors connected as a cascade amplification stage. An imaging plane can be made up of one imaging device or a plurality of imaging devices tiled to form a mosaic. The imaging devices may be configured as a slot for certain applications, the slit or slot being scanned over the imaging plane. Control electronics can include addressing logic for addressing individual pixel circuits for reading accumulated charge from the pixel circuits.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2003Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Risto Olavi Orava, Jouni Ilari Pyyhtia, Tom Gunnar Schulman, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis
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Patent number: 6856350Abstract: A semiconductor radiation imaging device includes an array of pixel cells having an array of pixel detectors which directly generate charge in response to incident radiation and a corresponding array of individually-addressable pixel circuits. Each pixel circuit is associated with a respective pixel detector for accumulating charge directly resulting from radiation incident on the pixel detector and includes threshold circuitry and charge accumulation circuitry. The threshold circuitry is configured to discard radiation hits on the pixel detector outside a predetermined threshold range, and the charge accumulation circuit is configured to accumulate charge directly resulting from a plurality of successive radiation hits on the respective pixel detector within the predetermined threshold range.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: Simage OyInventors: Risto Olavi Orava, Jouni Ilari Pyyhtia, Tom Gunnar Schulman, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis
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Publication number: 20030164888Abstract: An imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an array of pixel cells. Each pixel cell comprising an individually addressable pixel circuit for accumulating charge resulting from radiation incident on a pixel detector. The pixel circuit and the pixel detector can either be implemented on a single substrate, or on two substrates bonded together. The charge storage device can be a transistor, for example one of a pair of FET transistors connected as a cascade amplification stage. An imaging plane can be made up of one imaging device or a plurality of imaging devices tiled to form a mosaic. The imaging devices may be configured as a slot for certain applications, the slit or slot being scanned over the imaging plane. Control electronics can include addressing logic for addressing individual pixel circuits for reading accumulated charge from the pixel circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2003Publication date: September 4, 2003Applicant: Simage, OYInventors: Risto Olavi Orava, Jouni Ilari Pyyhtia, Tom Gunnar Schulman, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis
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Patent number: 6509203Abstract: In a semiconductor imaging device, the distance between the edge of a substrate and an edge-most charge collection contact is made as small as possible, preferably less than 500 &mgr;m and/or less than ⅓ of the substrate thickness. Additionally or alternatively, a passivation layer is placed between the edge-most portion of the contact and the substrate surface and/or a field shaping conductor adjacent to the surface. A field shaping region may also be arranged outside the edge of the substrate and may encircle each detector device, or it may encircle an arrangement of several devices. In such an arrangement, the spacing between adjacent detectors should be less than 500 &mgr;m. A shield may also be used to shield the edge of each detector, or the edge region of the arrangement of several detectors, from incident radiation. Such arrangements can reduce the effect of edge image deterioration caused by strong field non-uniformities at the detector edges.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 1997Date of Patent: January 21, 2003Assignee: Simage, OyInventors: Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Tom Gunnar Schulman
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Publication number: 20020089595Abstract: An imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an array of pixel cells. Each pixel cell comprising an individually addressable pixel circuit for accumulating charge resulting from radiation incident on a pixel detector. The pixel circuit and the pixel detector can either be implemented on a single substrate, or on two substrates bonded together. The charge storage device can be a transistor, for example one of a pair of FET transistors connected as a cascade amplification stage. An imaging plane can be made up of one imaging device or a plurality of imaging devices tiled to form a mosaic. The imaging devices may be configured as a slot for certain applications, the slit or slot being scanned over the imaging plane. Control electronics can include addressing logic for addressing individual pixel circuits for reading accumulated charge from the pixel circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 1997Publication date: July 11, 2002Inventors: RISTO OLAVI ORAVA, JOUNI ILARI PYYHTIA, TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN, MILTIADIS EVANGELOS SARAKINOS, KONSTANTINOS EVANGELOS SPARTIOTIS
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Patent number: 6408110Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of imaging device tiles arranged on an imaging support. Each of the imaging device tiles includes an imaging device having an imaging surface and a non-active region, wherein the imaging surface of a first imaging device tile at least partially overlies the non-active region of a second imaging device tile.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1997Date of Patent: June 18, 2002Assignee: Simage OyInventor: Tom Gunnar Schulman
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Publication number: 20020043696Abstract: In a semiconductor imaging device, the distance between the edge of a substrate and an edge-most charge collection contact is made as small as possible, preferably less than 500 &mgr;m and/or less than ⅓ of the substrate thickness. Additionally or alternatively, a passivation layer is placed between the edge-most portion of the contact and the substrate surface and/or a field shaping conductor adjacent to the surface. A field shaping region may also be arranged outside the edge of the substrate and may encircle each detector device, or it may encircle an arrangement of several devices. In such an arrangement, the spacing between adjacent detectors should be less than 500 &mgr;m. A shield may also be used to shield the edge of each detector, or the edge region of the arrangement of several detectors, from incident radiation. Such arrangements can reduce the effect of edge image deterioration caused by strong field non-uniformities at the detector edges.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 1999Publication date: April 18, 2002Inventors: KONSTANTINOS EVANGELOS SPARTIOTIS, MILTIADIS EVANGELOS SARAKINOS, TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN
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Publication number: 20020006236Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of imaging device tiles arranged on an imaging support. Each of the imaging device tiles includes an imaging device having an imaging surface and a non-active region, wherein the imaging surface of a first imaging device tile at least partially overlies the non-active region of a second imaging device tile.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2001Publication date: January 17, 2002Applicant: SIMAGE OYInventor: Tom Gunnar Schulman
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Publication number: 20020000549Abstract: In a semiconductor imaging device, the distance between the edge of a substrate and an edge-most charge collection contact is made as small as possible, preferably less than 500 &mgr;m and/or less than ⅓ of the substrate thickness. Additionally or alternatively, a passivation layer is placed between the edge-most portion of the contact and the substrate surface and/or a field shaping conductor adjacent to the surface. A field shaping region may also be arranged outside the edge of the substrate and may encircle each detector device, or it may encircle an arrangement of several devices. In such an arrangement, the spacing between adjacent detectors should be less than 500 &mgr;m. A shield may also be used to shield the edge of each detector, or the edge region of the arrangement of several detectors, from incident radiation. Such arrangements can reduce the effect of edge image deterioration caused by strong field non-uniformities at the detector edges.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 1997Publication date: January 3, 2002Inventors: KONSTANTINOS EVANGELOS SPARTIOTIS, MILTIADIS EVANGELOS SARAKINOS, TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN
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Publication number: 20010012412Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of imaging device tiles arranged on an imaging support. Each of the imaging device tiles includes an imaging device having an imaging surface and a non-active region, wherein the imaging surface of a first imaging device tile at least partially overlies the non-active region of a second imaging device tile.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 1997Publication date: August 9, 2001Inventor: TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN
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Publication number: 20010002844Abstract: An imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an array of pixel cells. Each pixel cell comprising an individually addressable pixel circuit for accumulating charge resulting from radiation incident on a pixel detector. The pixel circuit and the pixel detector can either be implemented on a single substrate, or on two substrates bonded together. The charge storage device can be a transistor, for example one of a pair of FET transistors connected as a cascade amplification stage. An imaging plane can be made up of one imaging device or a plurality of imaging devices tiled to form a mosaic. The imaging devices may be configured as a slot for certain applications, the slit or slot being scanned over the imaging plane. Control electronics can include addressing logic for addressing individual pixel circuits for reading accumulated charge from the pixel circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 1997Publication date: June 7, 2001Inventors: RISTO OLAVI ORAVA, JOUNI ILARI PYYHTIA, TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN, MILTIADIS EVANGELOS SARAKINOS, KONSTANTINOS SPARTIOTIS
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Publication number: 20010001562Abstract: An imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate including an array of pixel cells. Each pixel cell comprising an individually addressable pixel circuit for accumulating charge resulting from radiation incident on a pixel detector. The pixel circuit and the pixel detector can either be implemented on a single substrate, or on two substrates bonded together. The charge storage device can be a transistor, for example one of a pair of FET transistors connected as a cascade amplification stage. An imaging plane can be made up of one imaging device or a plurality of imaging devices tiled to form a mosaic. The imaging devices may be configured as a slot for certain applications, the slit or slot being scanned over the imaging plane. Control electronics can include addressing logic for addressing individual pixel circuits for reading accumulated charge from the pixel circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 1997Publication date: May 24, 2001Inventors: RISTO OLAVI ORAVA, JOUNI LLARI PYYHTIA, TOM GUNNAR SCHULMAN, MILTIADIS EVANGELOS SARAKINOS, KONSTANTINOS SPARTIOTIS
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Patent number: 5812191Abstract: A semiconductor high-energy radiation imaging device having an array of pixel cells includes a semiconductor detector substrate and a semiconductor readout substrate. The semiconductor detector substrate includes an array of pixel detector cells, each of which directly generates charge in response to incident high-energy radiation. The semiconductor readout substrate includes an array of individually addressable pixel circuits, each of which is connected to a corresponding pixel detector cell to form a pixel cell. Each pixel circuit includes charge accumulation circuitry for accumulating charge directly resulting from high-energy radiation incident on a corresponding pixel detector cell, readout circuitry for reading the accumulated charge, and reset circuitry for resetting the charge accumulation circuitry. The charge accumulation circuitry has a charge storage capacity sufficient to store at least 1.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1995Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Simage OYInventors: Risto Olavi Orava, Jouni Ilari Pyyhtia, Tom Gunnar Schulman, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis