Abstract: A photodetecting device includes a substrate, an array of sub-pixels, and a lens array covering the array of sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes a photosensitive layer supported by the substrate, the photosensitive layer being configured to absorb photons and generate photo-carriers, a first doped portion formed in the photosensitive layer of the respective sub-pixel, wherein the first doped portion includes dopants with a first conductivity type,; and a second doped portion formed in the substrate, wherein the second doped portion includes dopants with a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type. The array further includes an isolation region separating two or more sub-pixels of the array, a routing layer formed on the substrate configured to electrically couple a circuit to multiple sub-pixels of the array. The lens array includes a spacer portion and a plurality of lenses arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the sub-pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, where the second control signal is different from the first control signal.

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: Methods and devices for an avalanche photo-transistor. In one aspect, an avalanche photo-transistor includes a detection region configured to absorb light incident on a first surface of the detection region and generate one or more charge carriers in response, a first terminal in electrical contact with the detection region and configured to bias the detection region, an interim doping region, a second terminal in electrical contact with the interim doping region and configured to bias the interim doping region, a multiplication region configured to receive the one or more charge carriers flowing from the interim doping region and generate one or more additional charge carriers in response, a third terminal in electrical contact with the multiplication region and configured to bias the multiplication region, wherein the interim doping region is located in between the detection region and the multiplication region.

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: A circuit, including: a photodetector including a first readout terminal and a second readout terminal different than the first readout terminal; a first readout circuit coupled with the first readout terminal and configured to output a first readout voltage; a second readout circuit coupled with the second readout terminal and configured to output a second readout voltage; and a common-mode analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including: a first input terminal coupled with a first voltage source; a second input terminal coupled with a common-mode generator, the common-mode generator configured to receive the first readout voltage and the second readout voltage, and to generate a common-mode voltage between the first and second readout voltages; and a first output terminal configured to output a first output signal corresponding to a magnitude of a current generated by the photodetector.

Abstract: A wafer includes a plurality of testing dies, a plurality of non-testing dies, and a dicing region. Each testing die includes: a first active area including one or more first active devices, and one or more first device pads electrically coupled to the one or more first active devices. Each non-testing die includes: a second active area including one or more second active devices, and one or more second device pads electrically coupled to the one or more second active devices. The dicing region includes one or more testing pads electrically coupled to the one or more first device pads. The one or more testing pads are arranged to receive one or more external probes for determining one or more characteristics of the one or more first active devices of the plurality of testing dies. The plurality of non-testing dies are electrically isolated from the dicing region.

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: 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: 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 photodetecting device includes a substrate, a first photosensitive layer supported by the substrate, and a second photosensitive layer supported by the substrate and adjacent to the first photosensitive layer, each of the first photosensitive layer and the second photosensitive layer being coupled to a first doped portion having a first conductivity type, and a second doped region having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type, wherein the first photosensitive layer is separated from the second photosensitive layer, and the first doped portion coupled to the first photosensitive layer is electrically connected to the first doped portion coupled to the second photosensitive layer.

Abstract: An apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, where the second control signal is different from the first control signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a germanium region, a doped region in the germanium region, wherein the doped region is of a first conductivity type; and a counter-doped region in the germanium region and adjacent to the doped region, wherein the counter-doped region is of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type.

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: An optical sensing apparatus is provided. The optical sensing apparatus includes a substrate, one or more pixels supported by the substrate, where each of the one or more pixels includes an absorption region, a field control region, a first contact region, a second contact region and a carrier confining region. The field control region and the first contact region are doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type. The second contact region is doped with a dopant of a second conductivity type. The carrier confining region includes a first barrier region and a channel region, where the first barrier region is doped with a dopant of the second conductivity type and has a first peak doping concentration, and where the channel region is intrinsic or doped with a dopant of the second conductivity type and has a second peak doping concentration lower than the first peak doping concentration.

Abstract: An optical sensing apparatus is provided. The optical sensing apparatus including: a substrate including a first material; an absorption region including a second material different from the first material, the absorption region configured to receive an optical signal and generate photo-carriers in response to receiving the optical signal; an amplification region formed in the substrate configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers from the absorption region and to amplify the portion of the photo-carriers carriers; a buried-dopant region formed in the substrate and separated from the absorption region, wherein the buried-dopant region is configured to collect at least a portion of the amplified portion of the photo-carriers from the amplification region; and a buffer layer formed between the buried-dopant region and the absorption region, wherein the buffer layer is intrinsic and has a thickness not less than 150 nm.

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: Methods, devices, apparatus, and systems for photo-detecting are provided. In one aspect, a photo-detecting apparatus includes: a pixel having an absorption region configured to receive an optical signal and to generate photo-carriers in response to the optical signal, a substrate supporting the absorption region, and at least one additional region formed in the substrate. The absorption region includes a first material, the substrate includes a second material different from the first material. The at least one additional region includes a third material different from the second material. A total area of the absorption region and the at least one additional region is at least 20% of an area of the pixel.

Abstract: Methods, devices, apparatus, and systems for photo-detecting are provided. The photo-detecting apparatus includes a substrate, an absorption region supported by the substrate and configured to receive an optical signal and generate photo-carriers in response to the optical signal, and multiple sets of a switch including a first set and a second set. The substrate includes a first material, and the absorption region includes a second material. The absorption region is arranged in between the first set and the second set. Each of the multiple sets includes a respective control region and a respective readout region. The respective control regions of the multiple sets of the switch are configured to receive a control signal, and the respective readout regions of the multiple sets of the switch are configured to provide one or more electrical signals representing first collective information for deriving time-of-flight information associated with the optical signal.