Photo detector

• US 5,949,073 A
• Filed: 04/07/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimoyama, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiron, Darren M.
• Application Number:
  US08/834,979
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.1, 250/338.4, 250/353, 250/370.01, 250/372, 250/239, 250/226, 250/214.1, 250/214 AL, 359/335, 359/356, 359/359, 257/432, 257/433, 257/434
• US Class Current: 250/338.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0209 Monolithic
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0407 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0488 with spectral filtering

Abstract

A photo semiconductor element is covered by a cap with an incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through a translucent member. The photo semiconductor element detects a quantity of incident light penetrating through the translucent member of the incident window. The translucent member of the incident window is made of a material capable of suppressing the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm. A photoelectric current output of the photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through the translucent member of the incident window. The photo semiconductor element operates in multiple ways as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

Claims

1. A photo detector comprising:

a cap,

a photo semiconductor element covered by said cap and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

an incident window in said cap, said incident window having a translucent member for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element, said incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through said translucent member,

wherein said translucent member of said incident window partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough, so that a combined spectral sensitivity characteristic of a combination of said translucent member and said photo semiconductor element is modified by said translucent member from said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element;

wherein a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said translucent member of said incident window; and

wherein said translucent member of said incident window partially suppresses the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

2. A photo detector comprising:

a cap,

a photo semiconductor element covered by said cap and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

an incident window in said cap, said incident window having a translucent member for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element, said incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through said translucent member,

wherein said translucent member of said incident window partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough, so that a combined spectral sensitivity characteristic of a combination of said translucent member and said photo semiconductor element is modified by said translucent member from said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element,

wherein a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said translucent member of said incident window; and

wherein said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said combined spectral sensitivity characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

3. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element coated by a resin coat and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

a cap having an incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through a translucent member,

said cap covering said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element detects a quantity of incident light penetrating through said translucent member of said incident window and through said resin coat,

wherein said resin coat partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough to modify said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element when combined with said resin coat,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said resin coat; and

said resin coat is constituted by a material partially suppressing the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

4. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element coated by a resin coat and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

a cap having an incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through a translucent member,

said cap covering said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element detects a quantity of incident light penetrating through said translucent member of said incident window and through said resin coat,

wherein said resin coat partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough to modify said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element when combined with said resin coat,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said resin coat; and

said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said modified spectral sensitivity characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

5. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element coated by a resin coat and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

a resin case permitting incident light to penetrate,

said resin case covering said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element detects a quantity of incident light penetrating through said resin case and through said resin coat,

wherein said resin coat partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough to modify said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element when combined with said resin coat,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said resin coat; and

said resin coat is constituted by a material partially suppresses the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

6. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element coated by a resin coat and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic, and

a resin case permitting incident light to penetrate,

said resin case covering said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element detects a quantity of incident light penetrating through said resin case and through said resin coat,

wherein said resin coat partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light penetrating therethrough to modify said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element when combined with said resin coat,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said resin coat; and

said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said modified spectral sensitive characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

7. A photo detector comprising:

an incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through a plurality of translucent members, and

a photo semiconductor element having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein at least one of said plurality of translucent members of said incident window partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said plurality of translucent members,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said plurality of translucent members of said incident window; and

said one of said plurality of translucent members of said incident window partially suppresses the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

8. A photo detector comprising:

an incident window permitting incident light to penetrate through a plurality of translucent members, and

a photo semiconductor element having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein at least one of said plurality of translucent members of said incident window partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of said photo semiconductor element, so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said plurality of translucent members,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said plurality of translucent members of said incident window; and

said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said modified spectral sensitivity characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

9. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element directly covered by a plurality of translucent members and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein at least one of said plurality of translucent members partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said plurality of translucent members,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said plurality of translucent members; and

said one of said plurality of translucent members partially suppresses the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

10. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element directly covered by a plurality of translucent members and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein at least one of said plurality of translucent members partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said plurality of translucent members,

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said plurality of translucent members and

said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said modified spectral sensitivity characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.

11. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element covered by a light-transmittance adjusting member and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein said light-transmittance adjusting member partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said light-transmittance adjusting member;

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said light-transmittance adjusting member; and

said light-transmittance adjusting member partially suppresses the transmitting light quantity of incident light components having wavelengths less than 700 nm and larger than 900 nm.

12. A photo detector comprising:

a photo semiconductor element covered by a light-transmittance adjusting member and having a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic,

wherein said light-transmittance adjusting member partially suppresses a transmitting light quantity of only specific wavelength components of said incident light for modifying said predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic so that said photo semiconductor element has a modified spectral sensitivity characteristic when combined with said light-transmittance adjusting member;

a photoelectric current output of said photo semiconductor element is controlled by the incident light penetrating through said light-transmittance adjusting member; and

said photo semiconductor element has multiple applications using said modified spectral sensitivity characteristic as a thermosensing sensor and a photosensing sensor.