Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor photocathode

US6917058B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
5References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 18, 2001
Grant dateJul 12, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 28, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2201/3423
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In the case of a thick light-absorbing layer 2, a phenomenon of a decrease in the time resolution occurs. However, when the thickness of the light-absorbing layer 2 is limited, a portion of low electron concentration in one electron group is cut out, and hence overlap regions of adjacent electron concentration distributions decrease. Therefore, by shortening the transit time necessary for the passage of electrons, regions of overlapping electron distributions due to diffusion can also be suppressed. Furthermore, the strength of an electric field within a light-absorbing layer can be increased by thinning the light-absorbing layer. Therefore, the time resolution of infrared rays can be remarkably improved by a synergistic action of these effects. If it is assumed that the time resolution is 40 ps (picoseconds), for example, when the thickness of a light-absorbing layer is 1.3 μm which is nearly equal to the wavelength of infrared, then a possible time resolution is 7.5 ps when this thickness is 0.19 μm.

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