Infrared sensitive photo diode
US4494133A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1982 |
| Grant date | Jan 15, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10F39/016
Abstract
A photo diode formed by a substrate of Cd.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te covered with a layer of CdTe forming a p-n junction. The substrate may be p-type in which case the layer is n-type or vice versa. An array of photo diodes may be formed by covering the substrate with semi-insulating CdTe and forming islets of In on the CdTe. Heating causes In to diffuse into the CdTe doping it n-type. This results in regions of n-type CdTe surrounded by semi-insulating CdTe each region forming, with the substrate, a photo diode. The heating also causes diffusion between the Cd.sub.x Hg.sub.1-x Te and CdTe to give a graded heterostructure. Electrical connections are made to the substrate, and each n-type region. The n-type CdTe region may alternatively be formed by molecular beam epitaxial growth techniques using a beam of In dopant.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.