Photocapacitive image converter

US4331873A · kind A · utility

Inventors

• Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Frosch · La Cañada Flintridge, US
• William E. Miller · Los Gatos, US
• Arden Sher · Foster City, US
• Yuan H. Tsuo · Merced, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 20, 1980
• Grant date: May 25, 1982
• Expiry date: Jun 20, 2000

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F39/15

Abstract

Apparatus for converting a radiant energy image into corresponding electrical signals including an image converter. The image converter includes a substrate 20 of semiconductor material, an insulating layer 23 on the front surface of the substrate and an electrical contact 22 on the back surface of the substrate. A first series of parallel transparent conductive stripes 25 is on the insulating layer with a processing circuit 33 connected to each of the conductive stripes for detecting the modulated voltages generated thereon. In a first embodiment of the invention (FIG. 5), a modulated light stripe 38 perpendicular to the conductive stripes 25 scans the image converter. The resulting modulated signals generated on the conductive stripes are detected by the processing circuits 40 to produce signals that represent the image focused on the image converter. In a second embodiment of the invention (FIG. 1) a second insulating layer 28 is deposited over the conductive stripes and a second series of parallel transparent conductive stripes 29 perpendicular to the first series is on the second insulating layer. A different frequency current signal f.sub.n is applied to each of the second se…