Patent · US Expired

Method for eliminating defects in a photodetector

US4543171A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 22, 1984
Grant dateSep 24, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 22, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S136/29

Abstract

The performance of a photodetector is reduced by the presence of an electrical defect such as a short or a shunt. The invention is a method of improving the performance of this photodetector by preferentially removing a portion of an exposed surface of a detector electrode at the defect site. The preferential etching of the exposed surface is obtained by immersing the photodetector in a chemical etching ambient which has an etching rate for the exposed surface of the electrode which increases with increasing temperature while applying a reverse-bias voltage to the electrodes. The reverse-bias voltage has sufficient magnitude to cause a local increase in temperature of the exposed surface at the defect site.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.