Reflex coupler with integrated organic light emitter

• US 7,897,961 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Vogel, Uwe, Bunk, Gerd, Amelung, Jörg
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, TRUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/847,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20080054276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/98, 257/E31.096, 257/E51.008
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes

Abstract

A reflex coupler has an organic light emitter for generating a light signal and an inorganic photodetector with a detector area. The organic light emitter and the detector area are optically coupled as a result of radiation returned from an object onto which the light signal impinges, and the organic light emitter and the inorganic photodetector are integrated in one device.

Claims

1. A reflex coupler, comprising:

an organic light emitter arranged to emit a light signal; and

an inorganic photodetector which comprises a detector area;

wherein

the light emitter and the detector area can be coupled optically as a result of radiation returned from an object onto which the light signal impinges, and the organic light emitter and the inorganic photodetector are integrated in one device;

the reflex coupler includes further organic light emitters and/or further inorganic photodetectors;

the further organic light emitters and/or the further inorganic photodetectors are arranged across an area or along a direction, and the inorganic photodetector and the further inorganic photodetectors are arranged so as to be able to independently detect reflections on the object or on further objects; and

the inorganic photodetector and the further inorganic photodetectors are arranged in at least one direction; and

the reflex coupler includes an evaluating unit which is arranged so that a relative movement of the object to several of the inorganic photodetector and the further inorganic photodetectors in the at least one direction can be determined and a velocity of the object can be determined from a pulse frequency of an output signal.

2. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic photodetector comprises doped semiconductor material with at least one pn junction.

3. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the organic light emitter comprises an organic light-emitting diode.

4. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, further comprising a dielectric transparent layer sequence on the side of the detector area facing the object, and wherein at least parts of control electronics for the organic light emitter and/or control and/or evaluation electronics for the inorganic light emitter is arranged in and/or below the dielectric transparent layer sequence.

5. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, comprising control electronics controlling the organic light emitter such that the light signal comprises modulation to suppress potential extraneous light influences.

6. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the further organic light emitters generate further light signals, and the further light signals comprise another frequency than the light signal and/or the further inorganic photodetectors comprise another wavelength sensitivity than the inorganic photodetector.

7. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic photodetector is arranged to verify light reflected from the object or light as a result of fluorescence of a substance.

8. The reflex coupler according to claim 7, wherein control electronics of the inorganic photodetector is arranged to detect a temporal decay behavior of the light as a result of the fluorescence.

9. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic photodetector is arranged to detect a change in incident light intensity, and the evaluating unit is arranged so that the relative movement is determined from the change in the incident light intensity.

10. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating unit is arranqed so that shape recognition and/or shape change of the object can be determined.

11. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, comprising an optical element for steering and/or focusing the light signal.

12. The reflex coupler according to claim 11, wherein the optical element comprises a lens and/or a diffractive element.

13. The reflex coupler according to claim 11, wherein the organic light emitter comprises an encapsulation, and the encapsulation comprises the optical element.

14. The reflex coupler according to claim 1, wherein components of the inorganic photodetector and/or components for operating the organic light emitter are used in CMOS, BiCMOS or bipolar technology.

15. Use of a reflex coupler according to claim 1 as reflex light barrier, as fluorescence sensor, as flowmetry sensor, as sensor for optical function diagnostics, as spectral sensor, as lab-on-chip sensor or as rain sensor.

16. A reflex coupler, comprising:

a plurality of organic light emitters arranged to emit a light signal; and

a plurality of inorganic photodetectors, each of which comprises a detector area;

wherein

the plurality of organic light emitters and the detector areas can be coupled optically as a result of radiation returned from an object onto which the light signal impinges, and the plurality of organic light emitters and the plurality of inorganic photodetectors are integrated in one device;

the plurality of inorganic photodetectors includes at least two inorganic photodetectors and the plurality of organic light emitters includes at least four semi-annular organic light emitters;

two of the at least four semi-annular organic light emitters are arranged to define a ring; and

one of the plurality of inorganic photodetectors is arranged in the approximate center of the ring.

17. A reflex coupler, comprising:

a plurality of organic light emitters arranged to emit a light signal; and

a plurality of inorganic photodetectors, each of which comprises a detector area;

wherein

the plurality of organic light emitters and the detector areas can be coupled optically as a result of radiation returned from an object onto which the light signal impinges, and the plurality of organic light emitters and the plurality of inorganic photodetectors are integrated in one device; and

the plurality of inorganic photodetectors and the plurality of organic light emitters are arranged in rows and columns such that the plurality of inorganic photodetectors and the plurality of light emitters are alternately arranged in the rows and columns.

18. A reflex coupler, comprising:

an organic light emitter arranged to emit a light signal; and

an inorganic photodetector which comprises a detector area;

wherein

the light emitter and the detector area can be coupled optically as a result of radiation returned from an object onto which the light signal impinges, and the organic light emitter and the inorganic photodetector are integrated in one device; and

the organic light emitter is arranged to completely surround the inorganic photodetector.