Monolithic silicon integrated circuit for detecting azimuth and elevation of incident radiation and method for using same
US7145121B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 18, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 5, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 18, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J1/0437
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A device for detecting radiation direction is an integrated circuit that includes a first and second phototransistor positioned anti-parallel with respect to each other and a reference phototransistor. The device does not require impinging radiation to be mechanically aligned using pinholes, apertures or mechanical slits. The first phototransistor detects the direction of the radiation in an x-plane, and the second phototransistor detects the direction of the radiation in the y-plane. The first and second phototransistors have two differential pairs. The P type base regions are formed in the <111> plane of the silicon to form opposing sidewalls for receiving radiation signals from a radiation source. A current is induced in the PN junction of each phototransistor, thereby causing a current output on the emitters of the phototransistors. The differential currents represent rectangular coordinates describing the direction of the radiation detected on the <111> plane. The reference transistor is a <100> plane phototransistor, and its single current output is used to normalize the differential outputs of the first and second phototransistors. A system that integrates the detection devi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.