Integrated device for temporal binning of received photons
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons;
at least one charge carrier storage region; and
a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced,wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises;
a charge carrier travel region configured to receive the plurality of charge carriers from the photodetection region, the charge carrier travel region comprising a semiconductor material; and
a plurality of electrodes,wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a control circuit configured to capture the charge carriers in the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, andwherein the control circuit is configured to capture a charge carrier by;
producing a potential barrier at a first location within the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and
producing a second potential barrier at a second location within the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit includes a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons. The photodetection region is configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons. The integrated circuit also includes at least one charge carrier storage region. The integrated circuit also includes a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced.
102 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons; at least one charge carrier storage region; and a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises; a charge carrier travel region configured to receive the plurality of charge carriers from the photodetection region, the charge carrier travel region comprising a semiconductor material; and a plurality of electrodes, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a control circuit configured to capture the charge carriers in the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, and wherein the control circuit is configured to capture a charge carrier by; producing a potential barrier at a first location within the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and producing a second potential barrier at a second location within the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons; at least one charge carrier storage region; a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced; and a control circuit configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform a first measurement, the first measurement comprising; a first charge carrier capture phase in which the charge carrier segregation structure forms at least one potential barrier; and after the first charge carrier capture phase, a first charge carrier transfer phase in which a charge carrier, if captured during the charge carrier capture phase, is transferred to the at least one charge carrier storage region, wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the measurement based on a timing of a first excitation light pulse and to control the charge carrier segregation structure to discard charge carriers produced in response to photons from the first excitation light pulse, wherein the at least one charge carrier storage region comprises a plurality of charge carrier storage regions, and wherein the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to direct the charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced, wherein the first charge carrier transfer phase transfers a carrier captured in the first charge carrier capture phase to a first corresponding storage region of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions; wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform a second measurement, the second measurement comprising; a second charge carrier capture phase in which the charge carrier segregation structure forms at least one second potential barrier; and after the second charge carrier capture phase, a second charge carrier transfer phase in which a charge carrier is transferred to the at least one charge carrier storage region, wherein the second charge carrier transfer phase transfers a carrier captured in the second charge carrier capture phase to a second corresponding storage region of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions, wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the second measurement based on a timing of a second excitation light pulse. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons; a plurality of charge carrier storage regions; a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced; a control circuit configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform a measurement, the measurement comprising; a charge carrier capture phase in which the charge carrier segregation structure forms at least one potential barrier; and after the charge carrier capture phase, a charge carrier transfer phase in which a charge carrier, if captured during the charge carrier capture phase, is transferred to one of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform the measurement a plurality of times to aggregate charge carriers in the respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions, wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a readout circuit configured to read out signals from the plurality of charge carrier storage regions, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the readout circuit to read out signals from plurality of charge carrier storage regions after performing the measurement the plurality of times. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons; at least one charge carrier storage region; a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced, a control circuit configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform a measurement, the measurement comprising; a charge carrier capture phase in which the charge carrier segregation structure forms at least one potential barrier; and after the charge carrier capture phase, a charge carrier transfer phase in which a charge carrier, if captured during the charge carrier capture phase, is transferred to the at least one charge carrier storage region, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to change a timing, duration and/or number of time bins corresponding to the at least one charge carrier storage region. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A photodetection method, comprising:
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receiving incident photons; and selectively directing charge carriers of a plurality of charge carriers produced in response to the incident photons into at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced, wherein the at least one charge carrier storage region comprises a plurality of charge carrier storage regions, and selectively directing the charge carriers comprises selectively directing the charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions, wherein the selectively directing further comprises capturing the charge carriers in a charge carrier travel region, by changing a voltage of a first electrode overlying the charge carrier travel region to produce a first potential barrier at a first location within the charge carrier travel region, and by changing a voltage of a second electrode overlying the charge carrier travel region to produce a second potential barrier at a second location within the charge carrier travel region. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification