 Image sensor and method for fabricating the same |
| OF THE INVENTION FIG. 3 is a plane view showing a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor device (... |
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| Transistor and semiconductor device |
| What is claimed is: 1. A transistor comprising: a transparent channel layer using any one of zinc ... |
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| Semiconductor circuit and method of fabricating the same |
| In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a forming ... |
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| In-line wafer surface mapping |
| FIG. 2 is a plan view that illustrates an uneven substrate surface of an exemplary substrate. A... |
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| Light reflecting micromachined cantilever |
| The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. B... |
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| Micro-electro mechanical device made from mono-crystalline silicon and method of manufacture therefore |
| It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved micro-electro-mechanical ... |
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| Mechanical landing pad formed on the underside of a MEMS device |
| Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of ... |
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Photoconductor-on-active-pixel (POAP) sensor utilizing equal-potential pixel electrodes
| Details |
Inventors: Chao, Calvin; Hsieh, Tzu-Chiang;
Assignee: e-Phocus, Inc. (San Jose, CA)
Primary Examiner: Hannaher; Constantine
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Eastman; Gary
An active pixel sensor. A solid state radiation detection unit may be fabricated using a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of CMOS pixel circuits incorporated into the substrate. An array of pixel circuits includes within each circuit a charge collecting pixel electrode, a charge sensing node, a gate bias transistor for separating the charge collecting pixel electrode and the charge sensing node and for maintaining the pixel electrodes at substantially equal potential, and a pixel capacitor to store charges collected by the charge collecting pixel electrodes. A charge measuring circuit comprising at least one transistor may also be configured with each pixel circuit. The sensor may further include a radiation absorbing layer comprised of photoconductive material, as well as a surface electrode layer comprised of electrically conducting material. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The active pixel sensor of the invention includes, in one embodiment, a solid state radiation detection unit comprising a crystalline semiconductor substrate, a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) pixel circuits incorporated into the substrate to form an array of pixel circuits.
Typically, each of the array of pixel circuits include a charge collecting pixel electrode, a charge sensing node, and a gate bias transistor separating the charge collecting pixel electrode and the charge sensing node.
Each pixel circuit may further include a pixel capacitor to store charges collected by the charge collecting pixel electrode.
A charge measuring circuit comprising at least one transistor may also be configured with each pixel circuitry.
Typically, a gate of this transistor is electrically connected to the charge sensing node.
A radiation absorbing layer comprised of photoconductive material typically covers at least a portion of the array of pixel circuits, while a surface electrode layer comprised of electrically conducting material may be formed on the radiation absorbing layer.
Typically, the surface electrode layer is at least partially transparent to the electron-hole producing radiation and may be connected to a voltage source for establishing an electrical field across the radiation absorbing layer and between the surface electrode layer and each of the array of charge collecting pixel electrodes.
The sensor may also be configured with an array measurement circuit for measuring charges collected by each of the array of charge collecting pixel electrodes, and if desired, for outputting pixel data indicative of the collected charges.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, each of the array of pixel electrodes may be maintained at substantially equal potential by the gate bias transistor.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a gate of the gate bias transistor may be biased by constant voltage to minimize pixel crosstalk among adjacent pixel electrodes within the array of pixel electrodes
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