Optical receiver having a low capacitance integrated photodetector
First Claim
1. An optical receiver, comprising:
- a plurality of photodetector cells, each of said photodetector cells having first and second photodiodes for converting light energy into electrical signals;
said first photodiode connected to a switch means for connecting said second photodiode to an output of said photodetector cell when said first photodiode detects light energy; and
said output from each of said plurality of photodetector cells connected in parallel.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an interconnected array of photodetector cells in which each cell of the photodetector array contains a photodetector for detecting light pulses and a photodetector for switching on the photodetector cell. Each cell has a first and second busbar between which the photodetectors pass current in response to light impinging on the cell. The cells of the array are connected in parallel by the first and second busbars. The photodetectors are formed by depositing electrodes connected to the first and second busbars onto GaAs. The photodetector for detecting light pulses has a significantly faster response to impinging light than the photodetector for switching on the photodetector cell. The faster response of one photodetector with respect to another photodetector can be accomplished by reducing the spacing on GaAs between electrodes forming the faster photodetector, or by adding an integrating capacitor to one photodetector.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An optical receiver, comprising:
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a plurality of photodetector cells, each of said photodetector cells having first and second photodiodes for converting light energy into electrical signals; said first photodiode connected to a switch means for connecting said second photodiode to an output of said photodetector cell when said first photodiode detects light energy; and said output from each of said plurality of photodetector cells connected in parallel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An optical data link for receiving optical signals and transmitting electrical signals which correspond to said optical signals to a data processing system, comprising:
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a plurality of photodetector cells, each of said photodetector cells having first and second photodiodes for converting light energy into electrical signals; said first photodiode connected to a switch means for connecting said second photodiode to an output of said photodetector cell when said first photodiode detects said light energy; said output from each of said plurality of photodetector cells connected in parallel; and an amplifier means connected to said output for amplifying said electrical signals and transmitting said amplified electrical signals to said data processing system. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of converting optical signals to electrical signals, comprising:
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aligning an optical transmission media to a photodetector array, said photodetector array having a plurality of cells wherein each of said plurality of cells comprises a detector and a switch photodiode, said switch photodiode connects said detector photodiode between a high and a low potential when light activates said switch photodiode, said detector photodiode transmits current between a high and a low potential when light activates said detector photodiode; transmitting optical signals from said optical transmission media to at least one of said cells in said photodetector array; activating at least one of said switch and detector photodiodes in said plurality of cells of said photodetector array by said transmitted optical signal; and preventing the activation of at least one of said switch photodiodes in said plurality of cells of said photodetector array. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification