Image sensors made from organic semiconductors
First Claim
1. A high pixel density optical image sensor comprising a plurality of organic photosensors arrayed on a common substrate, said photosensors each comprising an active layer comprising a conjugated semiconducting polymer bounded on one side by a first electrode and on the other side by a second electrode, with a detector bridging the first and second electrodes and capable of detecting an electrical output from the photosensor in response to the incident light sensed by the photosensor.
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Abstract
Image sensors with monochromatic or multi-color response made from organic semiconductors are disclosed. The image sensors are comprised of image sensing elements (pixels) each of which comprises a thin layer (or multiple layers) of organic semiconductor(s) sandwiched between conductive electrodes. These image sensors can be integrated or hybridized with electronic or optical devices on the same substrate or on different substrates. The electrical output signals from the image sensors resulting from the input image are probed by a circuit connected to the electrodes. The spectral response of the image sensing elements can be modified and adjusted to desired spectral profiles through material selection, through device thickness adjustment and/or through optical filtering. Several approaches for achieving red, green, and blue full-color detection are disclosed. Similar approaches can be used for multiple-band detection (wavelength multiplexing) in desired response profiles and in other selected spectral ranges.
82 Citations
39 Claims
- 1. A high pixel density optical image sensor comprising a plurality of organic photosensors arrayed on a common substrate, said photosensors each comprising an active layer comprising a conjugated semiconducting polymer bounded on one side by a first electrode and on the other side by a second electrode, with a detector bridging the first and second electrodes and capable of detecting an electrical output from the photosensor in response to the incident light sensed by the photosensor.
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3. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a substrate; -
b. a first electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on a first portion of the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the more than one wavelengths disposed on a second portion of the first electrode;
f. a transparent third electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said first electrode, said layer of second photoactive organic material and said third electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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8. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a transparent substrate; -
b. a transparent first electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on a first portion of the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the more than one wavelengths disposed on a second portion of the first electrode;
f. a third electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said first electrode, said layer of second photoactive organic material and said third electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a substrate; -
b. a first electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, said first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the transparent second electrode;
f. a transparent third electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said second electrode, said layer of second photoactive organic material and said third electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a transparent substrate; -
b. a transparent first electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the new the one wavelengths disposed on the second electrode;
f. a third electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said first electrode, said layer of second photoactive material and said third electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a substrate; -
b. a first electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a dielectric layer disposed on the second transparent electrode;
f. a transparent third electrode disposed on said dielectric layer;
g. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the third electrode;
h. a transparent fourth electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said third electrode, said second layer of second photoactive organic material and said fourth electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 18)
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17. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising
a. a transparent substrate; -
b. a first transparent electrode disposed on the substrate;
c. a first layer of a first photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a first of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the first electrode;
d. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of first photoactive organic material, said first electrode, first layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a first sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the first wavelength is incident upon said first sensor;
e. a dielectric layer disposed on the second transparent electrode;
f. a transparent third electrode disposed on said dielectric layer;
g. a second layer of a second photoactive organic material having an optical band gap corresponding to a second of the more than one wavelengths disposed on the third electrode;
h. a fourth electrode disposed on the layer of second photoactive organic material, said third electrode, said second layer of second photoactive organic material and said fourth electrode making up a second sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when light of the second wavelength is incident upon said second sensor.
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19. A sensing element capable of sensing more than one wavelength of light comprising a sensor having
a. a first electrode; -
b. a layer of a photoactive organic material disposed on the first electrode; and
c. a transparent second electrode disposed on the layer of photoactive organic material, said first electrode, layer of first photoactive organic material and said second electrode making up a sensor capable of generating an electrical signal when a beam of light having several wavelengths is incident upon said second electrode; and
means for discriminating among the several wavelengths in said beam of light such that only a portion of the several wavelengths is incident upon the second electrode at one time. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification