Patent · US Expired

Transparent and opaque metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors

US5777390A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
1References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 10, 1995
Grant dateJul 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10F77/244

Abstract

An improved metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode, specifically a new high responsivity AND high bandwidth photodetector, resulting in a high gain-bandwidth product is disclosed. The disclosed device is an MSM photodiode in which the anode and cathode are made of different materials of differing opacity and possibly including different electrode dimensions as well. Using an opaque anode and a transparent cathode reduces surface reflections off the opaque electrodes allowing more light to be absorbed within the active semiconductor region. However, it concurrently keeps the transit distance for the slower moving holes to a minimum. Thus, the long tail in the impulse response due to hole collection is minimized, resulting in increased bandwidth.

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