Patent · US Expired

Photoconductor-on-active-pixel (POAP) sensor utilizing equal-potential pixel electrodes

US6730914B2 · kind B2 · utility

40Cited by
21References
72Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 5, 2002
Grant dateMay 4, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 5, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N25/77
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An active pixel sensor. A solid state radiation detection unit may be fabricated using a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of CMOS pixel circuits incorporated into the substrate. An array of pixel circuits includes within each circuit a charge collecting pixel electrode, a charge sensing node, a gate bias transistor for separating the charge collecting pixel electrode and the charge sensing node and for maintaining the pixel electrodes at substantially equal potential, and a pixel capacitor to store charges collected by the charge collecting pixel electrodes. A charge measuring circuit comprising at least one transistor may also be configured with each pixel circuit. The sensor may further include a radiation absorbing layer comprised of photoconductive material, as well as a surface electrode layer comprised of electrically conducting material.

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