Ii-vi Compound Semiconductor (e.g., Hgcdte) Patents (Class 257/442)
  • Publication number: 20080203514
    Abstract: The present invention is a radiation detector that includes a crystalline substrate formed of a II-VI compound and a first electrode covering a substantial portion of one surface of the substrate. A plurality of second, segmented electrodes is provided in spaced relation on a surface of the substrate opposite the first electrode. A passivation layer is disposed between the second electrodes on the surface of the substrate opposite the first electrode. The passivation layer can also be positioned between the substrate and one or both of the first electrode and each second electrode. The present invention is also a method of forming the radiation detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: II-VI INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Csaba Szeles
  • Patent number: 7271468
    Abstract: A charge coupled device for detecting electromagnetic and particle radiation is described. The device includes a high-resistivity semiconductor substrate, buried channel regions, gate electrode circuitry, and amplifier circuitry. For good spatial resolution and high performance, especially when operated at high voltages with full or nearly full depletion of the substrate, the device can also include a guard ring positioned near channel regions, a biased channel stop, and a biased polysilicon electrode over the channel stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Stephen Edward Holland
  • Publication number: 20070164387
    Abstract: A digital camera is provided that includes an image pick-up subsection whose CCD includes a shaded sub-pixel, and a signal processor that includes a dark processor and a sub-signal processor. The digital camera acquires a dark current in an effective pixel area and a leak signal or leak data during reading out signal charges to correct images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventor: Yoshinori Furuta
  • Patent number: 7217982
    Abstract: A photodetector (10) includes a substrate (12) having a surface; a first layer (14) of semiconductor material that is disposed above the surface, the first layer containing a first dopant at a first concentration for having a first type of electrical conductivity; and a second layer (16) of semiconductor material overlying the first layer. The second layer contains a second dopant at a second concentration for having a second type of electrical conductivity and forms a first p-n junction (15) with the first layer. The second layer is compositionally graded through at least a portion of a thickness thereof from wider bandgap semiconductor material to narrower bandgap in a direction away from the p-n junction. The compositional grading can be done in a substantially linear fashion, or in a substantially non-linear fashion, e.g., in a stepped manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Scott M. Taylor, Kenneth Kosai, James A. Finch
  • Patent number: 7112829
    Abstract: A light emission device and method for producing the device. The device includes, on a substrate, a stack including an etching stop layer, a first barrier layer, an emitting layer, and a second barrier layer. The stop layer is of the same nature as the emitting layer. One may form a mirror on the stack, eliminate the substrate by etching, and form another mirror on the stop layer to obtain a micro-cavity. The device may be applied in particular to the detection of gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Emmanuel Picard, Emmanuel Hadji, Jean-Paul Zanatta
  • Patent number: 7045871
    Abstract: Since a ZnTe-base compound semiconductor crystal was designed so as to have, on a ZnTe-base compound semiconductor layer, an n-type contact layer which includes a superlattice layer having n-type CdSe and n-type ZnTe grown with each other or a ZnCdSeTe-graded layer, it was made possible to raise carrier concentration of the n-type contact layer, and to control the conductivity type in a relatively easy manner. Moreover, formation of a CdSe/ZnTe superlattice layer or a ZnCdSeTe-graded layer between the contact layer and an electrode can prevent electric resistance from being increased due to difference in the energy gaps. Since CdSe and ZnTe, composing the CdSe/ZnTe superlattice or ZnCdSeTe composition-graded layer, have relatively close lattice constants, formation thereof is less likely to adversely affect the crystallinity of the semiconductor crystal, which is advantageous in obtaining the semiconductor crystal with an excellent quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignees: Nikko Materials Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Kishino, Ichiro Nomura, Song-Bek Che, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 7026228
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of depositing Hg1-xCdxTe onto a substrate, in a MOVPE technique, where 0?x?1; comprising the step of reacting together a volatile organotellurium compound, and one or both of (i) a volatile organocadmium compound and (ii) mercury vapour; characterised in that the organotellurium compound is isopropylallyltelluride. The invention also relates to devices, such as infrared sensors and solar cells, that comprise Hg1-xCdxTe materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: QinetiQ Limited
    Inventors: Janet E. Hails, Saamara N. Turney, legal representative, David J. Cole-Hamilton, William Bell, Douglas F. Foster, John Stevenson, deceased
  • Patent number: 7009226
    Abstract: Carrier mobility in transistor channel regions is increased by depositing a conformal stressed liner. Embodiments include forming a silicon oxynitride layer on the stressed liner to reduce or eliminate deposition surface pattern sensitivity during gap filling, and in-situ SACVD of silicon oxide gap fill directly on the stressed liner with reduced pattern sensitivity. Embodiments also include the use of Si—Ge substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Sey-Ping Sun
  • Patent number: 7005687
    Abstract: The present invention provides the photodetector comprising a lower cladding layer including a n-type doped region, an absorbing layer, an upper cladding layer including a p-type doped region, and ohmic electrodes connected to said lower cladding layer and said upper cladding layer, wherein said p-type doped region extends to be formed into said absorbing layer by a predetermined length. In accordance with present invention, by reducing effect of the hetero junction barrier where holes move in the intrinsic region, the operating voltage can be decreased and the bandwidth can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Joong Seon Choe, Yong Hwan Kwon
  • Patent number: 7002230
    Abstract: In case of chlorine doping, a CdTe-base compound semiconductor single crystal used for an electro-optic element has a crystal which is set to chlorine concentration ranging from 0.1 ppmwt to 5.0 ppmwt and has no precipitation having diameter of 2 ?m or above. In case of chlorine doping, an indium doping, a CdTe-base compound semiconductor single crystal used for an electro-optic element has a crystal which is obtained from a CdTe material melt, to which indium is doped at concentration ranging from 0.01 ppmwt to 1.0 ppmwt, according to a liquid phase epitaxial growth method and has a solidification ratio of 0.9 or below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Nikko Materials Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hirano, Hideyuki Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 6992321
    Abstract: High quality epitaxial layers of piezoelectric monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the piezoelectric monocrystalline layers. An accommodating buffer layer comprises a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from a silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying piezoelectric monocrystalline material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Aroon Tungare, Tomasz L. Klosowiak
  • Patent number: 6975012
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor radiation detector element of Schottky barrier type, comprising: a compound semiconductor crystal including cadmium and tellurium as main components; and voltage application means for applying voltage to the compound semiconductor crystal. According to the present invention, said voltage application means includes a compound of indium, cadmium and tellurium: InxCdyTez formed on one surface of the compound semiconductor crystal. Preferably, the rate “z” of occupation of tellurium in the compound InxCdyTez is in the range of not less than 42.9%, but not greater than 50% by ratio of number of atoms. Furthermore, preferably, the rate “y” of occupation of cadmium in the compound InxCdyTez is in the range of not less than 0%, but not greater than 10% by ratio of number of atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Acrorad Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Miki Moriyama, Masaki Murakami, Atsushi Kyan, Ryoichi Ohno
  • Patent number: 6861681
    Abstract: A blue-ultraviolet on-p-GaAs substrate pin Zn1-xMgxSySe1-y photodiode with high quantum efficiency, small dark current, high reliability and a long lifetime. The ZnMgSSe photodiode has a metallic p-electrode, a p-GaAs single crystal substrate, a p-(ZnSe/ZnTe)m superlattice (m: integer number of sets of thin films), an optionally formed p-ZnSe buffer layer, a p-Zn1-xMgxSySe1-y layer, an i-Zn1-xMgxSySe1-y layer, an n-Zn1-xMgxSySe1-y layer, an n-electrode and an optionally provided antireflection film. Incidence light arrives at the i-layer without passing ZnTe layers. Since the incidence light is not absorbed by ZnTe layers, high quantum efficiency and high sensitivity are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koshi Ando, Tomoki Abe, Takao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6818975
    Abstract: The present invention provides a bump forming apparatus (101, 501) which can prevent charge appearance semiconductor substrates (201, 202) from pyroelectric breakdown and physical failures, a method carried out by the bump forming apparatus for removing charge of charge appearance semiconductor substrates, a charge removing unit for charge appearance semiconductor substrates, and a charge appearance semiconductor substrate. At least when the wafer is cooled after the bump bonding is connected on the wafer, electric charge accumulated on the wafer (202) because of the cooling is removed through direct contact with a post-forming bumps heating device (170), or the charge is removed by a decrease in temperature control so that charge can be removed in a noncontact state. Therefore, an amount of charge of the wafer can be reduced in comparison with the conventional art, so that the wafer is prevented from pyroelectric breakdown and damage such as a break or the like to the wafer itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoriki Narita, Yasutaka Tsuboi, Masahiko Ikeya, Takaharu Mae, Shinji Kanayama
  • Patent number: 6790701
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.77Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Keitaro Shigenaka, Fumio Nakata
  • Publication number: 20040155310
    Abstract: In case of chlorine doping, a CdTe-base compound semiconductor single crystal used for an electro-optic element has a crystal which is set to chlorine concentration ranging from 0.1 ppmwt to 5.0 ppmwt and has no precipitation having diameter of 2 &mgr;m or above. In case of chlorine doping, an indium doping, a CdTe-base compound semiconductor single crystal used for an electro-optic element has a crystal which is obtained from a CdTe material melt, to which indium is doped at concentration ranging from 0.01 ppmwt to 1.0 ppmwt, according to a liquid phase epitaxial growth method and has a solidification ratio of 0.9 or below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Ryuichi Hirano, Hideyuki Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 6750486
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with p-channel and n-channel field effect devices formed on a common substrate, where the drain and source regions of the n-channel field effect device are formed within a silicon epitaxial layer formed on a silicon layer germanium relax which is formed on a silicon germanium buffer layer with a graduated germanium concentration. Additionally, drain and source regions of the p-channel field effect device are formed within a silicon-germanium compound layer formed on the substrate and the silicon epitaxial cap layer formed on the silicon-germanium compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sugawara, Takashi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 6750075
    Abstract: A heterostructure or multilayer semiconductor structure having lattice matched layers with different bandgaps is grown by MOCVD. More specifically, a wide bandgap material such as AlInSb or GaInSb is grown on a substrate to form a lower-contact layer. An n-type active layer is lattice matched to the lower contact layer. The active layer should be of a narrow bandgap material, such as InAsSb, InTlSb, InBiSb, or InBiAsSb. A p-type upper contact layer is then grown on the active layer and a multi-color infrared photodetector has been fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Inventor: Manijeh Razeghi
  • Publication number: 20040108564
    Abstract: A multi-spectral super-pixel photodetector for detecting four or more different bands of infrared radiation is described. The super-pixel photodetector includes two or more sub-pixel photodetectors, each of which includes a diffractive resonant optical cavity that resonates at two or more infrared radiation bands of interest. By detecting infrared radiation at two or more different applied biases and by generating a spectral response curve for each of the sub-pixel photodetectors at each of these biases, the response to each of the individual bands of infrared radiation can be calculated. The response to each band of infrared radiation can be found by deconvolving the response at each bias. The super-pixel photodetector finds use in military and medical imaging applications and can cover a broad portion of the infrared spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Pradip Mitra
  • Patent number: 6717228
    Abstract: An infrared image sensor has a sensor array composed of plural sensor elements and provided on a silicon substrate. A temperature compensation element is provided on the silicon substrate for each sensor element adjacently to the sensor element, and performs temperature correction to an output of the sensor element. Accordingly, the infrared image sensor can provide stable output even when environmental temperature varies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ando, Hiroyuki Tarumi, Katsuyoshi Nishii
  • Publication number: 20030141564
    Abstract: A solid state image pickup device having: a semiconductor substrate having a light receiving area; a number of pixels formed in the light receiving area of the semiconductor substrate in a matrix shape, each of the pixels having a main photosensitive field having a relatively large area and a subsidiary photosensitive field having a relatively small area; a main color filter array formed above the semiconductor substrate and covering at least the main photosensitive fields in register with the respective pixels; and a micro lens array formed on the color filter array and covering at least the main photosensitive fields in register with the respective pixels, wherein an image signal can be selectively picked up from either one of the main and subsidiary photosensitive fields. A solid state image pickup device having a high resolution can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Kondo, Tetsuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 6600203
    Abstract: A suppression layer is formed on a SiC substrate in accordance with a CVD method which alternately repeats the step of epitaxially growing an undoped layer which is a SiC layer into which an impurity is not introduced and the step of epitaxially growing an impurity doped layer which is a SiC layer into which nitrogen is introduced pulsatively. A sharp concentration profile of nitrogen in the suppression layer prevents the extension of micropipes. A semiconductor device properly using the high breakdown voltage and high-temperature operability of SiC can be formed by depositing SiC layers forming an active region on the suppression layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunimasa Takahashi, Toshiya Yokogawa, Makoto Kitabatake, Masao Uchida, Osamu Kusumoto, Kenya Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6589447
    Abstract: Provided is a compound semiconductor single crystal and a fabrication process for a compound semiconductor device capable of forming a prescribed pattern without requirement of many steps. A group V element component in a III-V compound semiconductor single crystal or a group VI element component in the II-VI compound semiconductor single crystal is reduced less than a composition ratio expressed by a chemical formula of a corresponding compound semiconductor single crystal in a pattern-shaped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junya Ishizaki, Nobuhiko Noto
  • Patent number: 6563186
    Abstract: Hybrid crystalline organic-inorganic quantum confined systems are disclosed, which contain alternating layers of a bifunctional organic ligand and a II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide, wherein the semiconducting chalcogenide layers contain chalcogenides have the formula MQ, in which M is independently selected from II-VI semiconductor cationic species and Q is independently selected from S, Se and Te; and the bifunctional organic ligands of each organic ligand layer are bonded by a first functional group to an element M of an adjacent II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layer and by a second functional group to an element M from the adjacent opposing II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layer, so that the adjacent opposing II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layers are linked by the bifunctional organic ligands of the organic ligand layers. Optical absorption experiments show that these systems produce a significant blue shift in their optical absorption edges, 1.2-1.5 eV, compared to a shift of 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Rutgers, The State University
    Inventors: Jing Li, Xiaoying Huang
  • Publication number: 20030042479
    Abstract: A modulation doped multiple quantum well structure having a steep Zn profile of several nm by the balance between an increase in a Zn concentration and a decrease in Zn diffusion by using metal organic vapor phase epitaxy using Zn, in which an InGaAlAs quaternary alloy is used and the Zn concentration and the range for crystal composition are defined to equal to or less than the critical concentration at which Zn diffuses abruptly in each of InGaAlAs compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: Tomonobu Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20030034494
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.77Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Keitaro Shigenaka, Fumio Nakata
  • Publication number: 20030034537
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.77Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Keitaro Shigenaka, Fumio Nakata
  • Patent number: 6509203
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Simage, Oy
    Inventors: Konstantinos Evangelos Spartiotis, Miltiadis Evangelos Sarakinos, Tom Gunnar Schulman
  • Publication number: 20020149076
    Abstract: Hybrid crystalline organic-inorganic quantum confined systems are disclosed, which contain alternating layers of a bifunctional organic ligand and a II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide, wherein the semiconducting chalcogenide layers contain chalcogenides have the formula MQ, in which M is independently selected from II-VI semiconductor cationic species and Q is independently selected from S, Se and Te; and the bifunctional organic ligands of each organic ligand layer are bonded by a first functional group to an element M of an adjacent II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layer and by a second functional group to an element M from the adjacent opposing II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layer, so that the adjacent opposing II-VI semiconducting chalcogenide layers are linked by the bifunctional organic ligands of the organic ligand layers. Optical absorption experiments show that these systems produce a significant blue shift in their optical absorption edges, 1.2-1.5 eV, compared to a shift of 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventors: Jing Li, Xiaoying Huang
  • Patent number: 6465860
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Keitaro Shigenaka, Fumio Nakata
  • Publication number: 20020135034
    Abstract: A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.77Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventors: KEITARO SHIGENAKA, FUMIO NAKATA
  • Patent number: 6410941
    Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit is provided that has a monocrystalline substrate such as silicon and a compound semiconductor layer such as gallium arsenide or indium phosphide. An optical communications port may be formed on the hybrid integrated circuit. Electrical equipment may be provided that includes electrical components. At least a given one of the components may be a hybrid integrated circuit. Data used for the operation of one of the given integrated circuit may be provided to the given integrated circuit through the optical communications port on that integrated circuit. The data may be loaded rapidly in real time due to the wide bandwidth of the optical communications port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Taylor, Charles W. Shanley, William J. Ooms
  • Patent number: 6403874
    Abstract: A heterostructure thermionic cooler and a method for making thermionic coolers, employing a barrier layer of varying conduction bandedge for n-type material, or varying valence bandedge for p-type material, that is placed between two layers of material. The barrier layer bandedge is at least kBT higher than the Fermi level of the semiconductor layer, which allows only selected, “hot” electrons, or electrons of high enough energy, across the barrier. The barrier layer is constructed to have an internal electric field such that the electrons that make it over the initial barrier are assisted in travel to the anode. Once electrons drop to the energy level of the anode, they lose energy to the lattice, thus heating the lattice at the anode. The barrier height of the barrier layer is high enough to prevent the electrons from traveling in the reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ali Shakouri, John E. Bowers
  • Patent number: 6362483
    Abstract: Visible-blind UV detectors are disclosed comprising an active layer of ZnSTe alloy. The Te composition can be varied to provide good lattice matching depending on the nature of the substrate (eg Si, GaP or GaAs) and a novel structure is provided to give high quantum efficiency. The invention also discloses UV detectors with an active layer of pure ZnS and with an active layer of ZnSSe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
    Inventors: Iam Keong Sou, Zhaohui Ma, Choi Lai Man, Zhi Yu Yang, Kam Sang Wong, George Ke-Lun Wong
  • Patent number: 6359290
    Abstract: A method of making a diode and the diode wherein there is provided a substrate of p-type group II-VI semiconductor material and an electrically conductive material capable of forming an ohmic contact with the substrate is forced into the lattice of the substrate to create an n-type region in the substrate in contact with the material and forming an electrical contact to the p-type region of said substrate. The substrate is preferably HgCdTe and the electrically conductive material is preferably tungsten or tin coated tungsten or tungsten coated with a mercury amalgam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: John C. Ehmke
  • Patent number: 6337513
    Abstract: A chip packaging system and method for providing enhanced thermal cooling including a first embodiment wherein a diamond thin film is used to replace at least the surface layer of the existing packaging material in order to form a highly heat conductive path to an associated heat sink. An alternative embodiment provides diamond thin film layers disposed on adjacent surfaces of the chip and the chip package. Yet another alternative embodiment includes diamond thin film layers on adjacent chip surfaces in a chip-to-chip packaging structure. A final illustrated embodiment provides for the use of an increased number of solder balls disposed in at least one diamond thin film layer on at least one of a chip and a chip package joined with standard C4 technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Clevenger, Louis L. Hsu, Li-Kong Wang, Tsorng-Dih Yuan
  • Patent number: 6323414
    Abstract: A heterostructure thermionic cooler and a method for making thermionic coolers, employing a barrier layer of varying conduction bandedge for n-type material, or varying valence bandedge for p-type material, that is placed between two layers of material. The barrier layer has a high enough barrier for the cold side to only allow “hot” electrons, or electrons of high enough energy, across the barrier. The barrier layer is constructed to have an internal electric field such that the electrons that make it over the initial barrier are assisted in travel to the anode. Once electrons drop to the energy level of the anode, they lose energy to the lattice, thus heating the lattice at the anode. The barrier height of the barrier layer is high enough to prevent the electrons from traveling in the reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ali Shakouri, John E. Bowers
  • Patent number: 6316771
    Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation detector system is disclosed which includes a detector of semiconductor material in the form of a superlattice having a plurality of layers of a first conductivity type spaced by alternate layers of a second conductivity type forming a layered structure having distinct natural energy band gap responsive to a narrow band of electromagnetic wavelengths, but which can be tuned by physical or electromagnetic devices to alter the band of wavelengths to which the detector responds. The system includes electrodes connecting the sensor to an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Lockhead Martin Corp.
    Inventors: Jaan Jurisson, Darryl Lyle Smith
  • Publication number: 20010015469
    Abstract: A visible light emitting device includes a wide band gap semiconductor layer doped with one or more elements which emit light at various wavelengths based upon atomic transitions. The semiconductor preferably is GaN, InN, AIN, BN or alloys thereof doped with a lanthanide element such as Er, Pr or Tm. The light emission can be enhanced by annealing the WBGS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Applicant: University of Cincinnati
    Inventors: Ronald H. Birkhahn, Liang-Chiun Chao, Michael J. Garter, James D. Scofield, Andrew J. Steckl
  • Patent number: 6274465
    Abstract: A method for forming a desired junction profile in a semiconductor device. At least one dopant is introduced into a semiconductor substrate. The at least one dopant is diffused in the semiconductor substrate through annealing the semiconductor substrate and the at least one dopant while simultaneously exposing the semiconductor substrate to a DC electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporataion
    Inventors: Arne W. Ballantine, John J. Ellis-Monaghan, Toshiharu Furukawa, Glenn R. Miller, James A. Slinkman
  • Patent number: 6255708
    Abstract: A semiconductor P-I-N detector including an intrinsic wafer, a P-doped layer, an N-doped layer, and a boundary layer for reducing the diffusion of dopants into the intrinsic wafer. The boundary layer is positioned between one of the doped regions and the intrinsic wafer. The intrinsic wafer can be composed of CdZnTe or CdTe, the P-doped layer can be composed of ZnTe doped with copper, and the N-doped layer can be composed of CdS doped with indium. The boundary layers is formed of an undoped semiconductor material. The boundary layer can be deposited onto the underlying intrinsic wafer. The doped regions are then typically formed by a deposition process or by doping a section of the deposited boundary layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventors: Rengarajan Sudharsanan, Nasser H. Karam
  • Patent number: 6208005
    Abstract: A variable bandgap infrared absorbing material, Hg1-x Cdx Te, is manufactured by use of the process termed MOCVD-IMP (Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition-Interdiffused Multilayer Process). A substantial reduction in the dislocation defect density can be achieved through this method by use of CdZnTe layers which have a zinc mole fraction selected to produce a lattice constant which is substantially similar to the lattice constant of HgTe. After the multilayer pairs of HgTe and Cd0.944Zn0.056Te are produced by epitaxial growth, the structure is annealed to interdiffuse the alternating layers to produce a homogeneous alloy of mercury cadmium zinc telluride. The mole fraction x in Hg1-x(Cd0.944Zn0.056)xTe can be varied to produce a structure responsive to multiple wavelength bands of infrared radiation, but without changing the lattice constant. The alloy composition is varied by changing the relative thicknesses of HgTe and Cd0.944Zn0.056Te.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Pradip Mitra
  • Patent number: 6201242
    Abstract: An infrared radiation detector device has an array of detectors each of which comprises a pattern of parallel detector elements. Each detector produces a pixel signal for an image. The elements of the detector are photoconductive or photovoltaic bandgap materials, and the elements are spaced apart at a dimension which is equal to or less than the wavelength of the radiation to be received. Additional layered structures above and/or below the detector elements provide impedance matching between free space radiation and the radiation impedance of the detector elements to increase the capture of radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Dayton Dale Eden, William Edward Case, Thomas Robert Schimert
  • Patent number: 6201257
    Abstract: An energy dispersive x-ray and gamma-ray photon counter is described. The counter uses a photon sensor which incorporates a unique photocathode called Advanced Semiconductor Emitter Technology for X-rays (ASET-X) as its critical element for converting the detected photons to electrons which are emitted into a vacuum. The electrons are multiplied by accelerations and collisions creating a signal larger than the sensor noise and thus allowing the photon to be energy resolved very accurately, to within ionization statistics. Because the signal is already above the sensor noise it does not have to be noise filtered therefore allowing high-speed counting. The photon sensor can also be used as a device to visualize and image gamma-ray and x-ray sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Stettner, Howard W. Bailey
  • Patent number: 6198147
    Abstract: A photosensitive element may be formed by an upper layer which is sensitive to visible light and a lower layer which is sensitive to infrared radiation. By making the upper device infrared transparent, the upper device can detect visible light while the lower device detects infrared radiation in one single detector. In some embodiments a plurality of pixels may be provided, only some of which contain both the first and second layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin M. Connolly
  • Patent number: 6188089
    Abstract: A semiconductor imaging device includes a semiconductor radiation detector substrate, for example of cadmium zinc telluride, with at least two faces. A first face has at least one charge output contact formed from electrically conductive material or materials and a second face having a contact formed from electrically conductive material or materials. The second face contact is for applying a bias voltage to provide an electric field between the first and second faces. The second face contact, or a third face of the semiconductor imaging device, or an edge between the second and third faces has deposited thereon at least a partial covering of a further material different from the electrically conductive material or materials of the second face contact. The deposited material can be a semiconductor, insulating or passivation material, for example aluminium nitride. Such a radiation detector can provide linear detector behaviour for all possible combinations of exposure and X-ray tube voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Simage Oy
    Inventor: Konstantinos E. Spartiotis
  • Patent number: 6180967
    Abstract: A dual-band planar infrared detector with space-time coherence, with a stack of semiconductor layers (16, 18, 20, 21) forming first and second photodiodes. The detector has a planar structure in which each layer has a part showing on a surface (22) substantially perpendicular to the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Zanatta, Pierre Ferret, Philippe Duvaut
  • Patent number: 6114696
    Abstract: An infrared radiation detector device comprises a dipole antenna mounted on a substrate and connected through blocking contacts to a bandgap detector element. The dipole antenna has a length which is approximately one half the wavelength of the incident infrared radiation. The bandgap detector element has linear dimensions which are each substantially smaller than the wavelength of the detected radiation. A group of detector devices are combined to form an array which can produce a pixel signal for an image. Unlike conventional infrared radiation detectors, the disclosed detector device is capable of producing a usable output signal without the need for cooling below ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Dayton D. Eden
  • Patent number: 6114738
    Abstract: A hybrid focal plane array has Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te junction photodiodes formed in a substrate of HgCdTe which is capped by a layer of Te-rich CdTe. Type conversion of a low metal vacancy HgCdTe substrate to p-type is performed by annealing the capped substrate at a temperature sufficient to support interdiffusion between the Te-rich CdTe capping layer and the HgCdTe substrate. Use of the CdTe capping layer with a slight excess Te maintains the surface of the HgCdTe substrate in a Te-rich phase condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: DRS FPA, L.P.
    Inventors: John Harold Tregilgas, Arthur Monroe Turner
  • Patent number: RE38582
    Abstract: A multi-layer Auger suppressed diode having at least two exclusion interfaces and at least two extraction interfaces. A specific embodiment has two composite contacts, each consisting of a heavily doped layer (3, 4) and a buffer layer (8, 9) of lower doped, high bandgap material sandwiched between the heavily doped layer and the active region (2) of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: QinetiQ Limited
    Inventor: Anthony M. White