Optical detector and method for manufacturing the same

• US 9,741,954 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF SE
• Original Assignee: BASF SE
• Inventors: Bruder, Ingmar, Send, Robert, Irle, Stephan, Thiel, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): COLEMAN, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US14/787,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2031/0344 Organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/71 Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/202 Integrated devices comprising a common active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/10 comprising heterojunctions between organic semiconductors and inorganic semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/15 Sensitised wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, e.g. dye-sensitised TiO2 photo-electrochemical devices comprising a liquid electrolyte or a solid electrolyte H01G9/20
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/151 the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/81 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/82 Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 39/32 Organic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An optical detector (110) is disclosed. The optical detector (110) comprises: —an optical sensor (112), having a substrate (116) and at least one photosensitive layer setup (118) disposed thereon, the photosensitive layer setup (118) having at least one first electrode (120), at least one second electrode (130) and at least one photovoltaic material (140) sandwiched in between the first electrode (120) and the second electrode (130), wherein the photovoltaic material (140) comprises at least one organic material, wherein the first electrode (120) comprises a plurality of first electrode stripes (124) and wherein the second electrode (130) comprises a plurality of second electrode stripes (134), wherein the first electrode stripes (124) and the second electrode stripes (134) intersect such that a matrix (142) of pixels (144) is formed at intersections of the first electrode stripes (124) and the second electrode stripes (134); and —at least one readout device (114), the readout device (114) comprising a plurality of electrical measurement devices (154) being connected to the second electrode stripes (134) and a switching device (160) for subsequently connecting the first electrode stripes (124) to the electrical measurement devices (154).

Claims

1. An optical detector, comprising:

an optical sensor, comprising a substrate and at least one solid photosensitive layer setup disposed thereon, the solid photosensitive layer setup comprising at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode and at least one solid photovoltaic material that, under illumination by light in one or more of the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared spectral range, generates an electrical signal, sandwiched in between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the solid photovoltaic material comprises at least one organic material, wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrode stripes and wherein the second electrode comprises a plurality of second electrode stripes, wherein the first electrode stripes and the second electrode stripes intersect such that a matrix of pixels is formed at intersections of the first electrode stripes and the second electrode stripes; and

at least one readout device, the readout device comprising a plurality of electrical measurement devices connected to the second electrode stripes and a switching device for subsequently connecting the first electrode stripes to the electrical measurement devices,

wherein the top electrode comprises a plurality of metal electrode stripes, and

wherein the metal electrode stripes are separated by electrically insulating separators.

2. The optical detector according to claim 1, wherein the matrix of pixels comprises rows defined by the first electrode stripes and columns defined by the second electrode stripes, wherein each electrical measurement device is connected to a column, such that electrical signals for the pixels of each row are measured simultaneously, wherein the switching device is configured to subsequently connect the rows to the electrical measurement devices.

3. The optical detector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical measurement devices are analogue measurement devices, wherein the electrical measurement devices further comprise analogue-digital converters.

4. The optical detector according to claim 1, wherein the readout device further comprises at least one data memory for storing measurement values for the pixels of the matrix of pixels.

5. A camera for imaging at least one object, the camera comprising at least one optical detector according to claim 1.

6. A method of taking at least one image of an object via the optical detector according to claim 1, the method comprising:

imaging the object onto the optical sensor,

subsequently connecting the first electrode stripes to the electrical measurement devices, wherein the electrical measurement devices, for each first electrode stripe, measure electrical signals for the pixels of the respective first electrode stripe, and

composing the electrical signals of the pixels to form an image.

7. The optical detector according to claim 1, suitable for a position measurement in traffic technology;

an entertainment application;

a security application;

a safety application;

a human-machine interface application;

a tracking application;

a photography application;

or an application in combination with at least one time-of-flight detector.

8. The optical detector according to claim 1. wherein the solid photosensitive layer setup is a layer setup of a solid dye-sensitized solar cell.

9. The optical detector according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises an n-semiconducting metal oxide, wherein the electrically insulating separators are deposited on top of the n-semiconducting metal oxide.

10. The optical detector according to claim 9, wherein the optical sensor further comprises at least one solid p-semiconducting organic material deposited on top of the n-semiconducting metal oxide, the solid p-semiconducting organic material being sub-divided into a plurality of stripe-shaped regions by the electrically insulating separators.

11. The optical detector according to claim 9, wherein the n-semiconducting metal oxide is a nano-porous n-semiconducting metal oxide.

12. The optical detector according to claim 1, comprising a stack of at least two imaging devices, wherein at least one of the imaging devices is the optical sensor.

13. The optical detector according to claim 12, wherein the stack further comprises at least one additional imaging device.

14. The optical detector according to claim 12, wherein the stack comprises at least two imaging devices having different spectral sensitivities.

15. A detector system for determining a position of at least one object, the detector system comprising at least one optical detector according to claim 1, and at least one beacon device configured to direct at least one light beam towards the optical detector, wherein the beacon device is at least one of a device attachable to the object, a device holdable by the object and a device integratable into the object.

16. A tracking system for tracking a position of at least one movable object, the tracking system comprising at least one detector system according to claim 15, and at least one track controller, wherein the track controller is configured to track a series of positions of the object at specific points in time.

17. A human-machine interface for exchanging at least one item of information between a user and a machine, the human-machine interface comprising at least one detector system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one beacon device is configured to be at least one of directly or indirectly attached to the user and held by the user, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to determine at least one position of the user via the detector system, wherein the human-machine interface is designed to assign to the position at least one item of information.

18. An entertainment device for carrying out at least one entertainment function, the entertainment device comprising at least one human-machine interface according to claim 17, wherein the entertainment device is designed to enable at least one item of information to be input by a player via the human-machine interface, wherein the entertainment device is designed to vary the entertainment function in accordance with the information.

19. The optical detector according to claim 1, wherein one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a bottom electrode and wherein the other of the first electrode and the second electrode is a top electrode, wherein the bottom electrode is applied to the substrate, wherein the solid photovoltaic material is applied to the bottom electrode and at least partially covers the bottom electrode and wherein the top electrode is applied to the solid photovoltaic material.

20. The optical detector according to claim 19, wherein the top electrode is transparent.

21. The optical detector according to claim 20, wherein the top electrode comprises at least one metal layer.

22. The optical detector according to claim 21, wherein the top electrode further comprises at least one electrically conductive polymer embedded in between the solid photovoltaic material and the metal layer.