Patent · US Expired

Photodetector with a resonant cavity

US5315128A · kind A · utility

84Cited by
3References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 1993
Grant dateMay 24, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 30, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10F77/413
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Described is a resonant-cavity p-i-n photodetector based on the reflection or transmission through a Fabry-Perot cavity incorporating non-epitaxial, amorphous layers with alternating refractive index difference which layers are electron-beam deposited on a light-gathering side of a commercially available photodetector. The materials of the Fabry-Perot cavity are selectable from materials, refractive indices of which fall within a large range (from n=1.26 for CaF.sub.2 to n=3.5 for Si) preferably from materials which are depositable in an amorphous state. The material combinations are selected so that only wavelengths resonant with the cavity mode will be detected. The microcavity of the RC-PIN design can also be deposited on any existing detector structure, without modification of semiconductor growth. Such a photodetector would be useful for wavelength de-multiplexing applications. The ease of layer deposition, as well as the high degree of tailorability of spectral position, spectral detection width, and maximum numerical aperture of efficient detection, make the RC-PIN attractive for use in wavelength demultiplexing applications. An exemplary RC-PIN photodetector includes a Si/S…

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