High temperature imaging device

• US 7,442,932 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Streich, Steven G., Schultz, Roger L., Freeman, James J., Skinner, Neal G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYATT, KEVIN S
• Application Number:
  US10/992,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20050103980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250257-258, 250261-264, 250/255, 250/256, 2503381-3384, 25033901-33902, 250/339.04, 250/339.06, 356/121
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/22 using ferroelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/84 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. being an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/12 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1203 the substrate comprising an insulating body on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI three-dimensional layout H01L27/0688
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 53/00 Ferroelectric RAM [FeRAM] devices comprising ferroelectric memory capacitors

Abstract

High temperature imaging devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, the imaging device comprises an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on an insulator substrate, and an information storage component coupled to the array. The information storage component stores data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array. The light patterns may be images or spectral patterns. The insulator substrate may be a sapphire or spinel substrate. Alternatively, the substrate may be silicon carbide or an insulated silicon substrate. In at least some embodiments, a processor is integrated on the same substrate as the array.

Claims

1. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on a spinel substrate; and

an information storage component fabricated on the spinel substrate and coupled to the array to store digital data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the array and coupled to the information storage component, wherein the processor captures light patterns detected by the array and processes captured light patterns to generate said digital data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is fabricated on an insulator Substrate.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is fabricated on the spinel substrate with the array.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a light aperture that forms an image on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the image formed by the light aperture on the array.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a diffraction grating that forms a spectral pattern on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the spectral pattern formed by the diffraction grating.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a prism that forms a spectral pattern on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the spectral pattern formed by the prism.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more filters that associate particular colors with particular photosensitive elements in the array.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the information storage device includes a ferroelectric memory.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable at temperatures greater than 200 C.

11. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on a silicon carbide substrate;

an information storage component coupled to the array to store data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array; and

a processor coupled to the array and coupled to the information storage component,

wherein the processor captures light patterns detected by the array and processes captured light patterns to generate said data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array, and

wherein the processor is fabricated on a silicon carbide substrate.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is fabricated on the silicon carbide substrate with the array.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

one or more filters that associate particular colors with particular photosensitive elements in the array.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the information storage device includes a ferroelectric memory.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is operable at temperatures greater than 200 C.

16. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on a silicon carbide substrate;

an information storage component fabricated on the silicon carbide substrate and coupled to the array to store digital data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array; and

a light aperture that forms an image on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the image formed by the light aperture on the array.

17. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on a silicon carbide substrate;

an information storage component fabricated on the silicon carbide substrate and coupled to the array to store digital data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array; and

a diffraction grating that forms a spectral pattern on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the spectral pattern formed by the diffraction grating.

18. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on a silicon carbide substrate;

an information storage component coupled to the array to store data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array; and

a prism that forms a spectral pattern on the array of photosensitive elements,

wherein said one or more light patterns include the spectral pattern formed by the prism.

19. An imaging device that comprises:

an array of photosensitive elements fabricated on an insulated silicon (SOI) substrate;

an information storage component coupled to the array to store data representing one or more light patterns detected by the array; and

a dispersive element that forms a spectral pattern on the array of photosensitive elements, wherein the dispersive element includes a prism, and

wherein said one or more light patterns include the spectral pattern formed by the dispersive element.

20. A high temperature imaging method that comprises:

placing an imaging device in a high temperature environment;

receiving light through an aperture; and

forming an image on a photosensitive array operable at temperatures greater than 200 C.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

acquiring values representative of the image from the array; and

storing data derived from the values in a memory operable at temperatures greater than 200 C.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the memory is a ferroelectric memory.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the high temperature environment is a well bore.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the photosensitive array is manufactured on a sapphire or spinel substrate.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the photosensitive array is manufactured on a silicon carbide substrate.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the photosensitive array is manufactured on an insulated silicon wafer.

27. A high-temperature monitoring method that comprises:

measuring a spectral composition of incident light with at least one photosensitive element fabricated on a spinel substrate; and

processing a signal from the at least one photosensitive element to provide an indication of a material'"'"'s presence.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the indication represents a concentration of the material.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises:

placing a tool containing the substrate in a well bore.