Integrated device for temporal binning of received photons

• US 9,759,658 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum-Si Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantum-Si Incorporated
• Inventors: Rothberg, Jonathan M., Fife, Keith G., Boisvert, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US14/821,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20160133668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6408 with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0697 Pulsed lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4863 Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4865 Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14812 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address lines or gate-electrodes

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.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region;

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse; and

a readout circuit configured to read out a signal from the at least one charge carrier storage region,

wherein the at least one charge carrier storage region comprises a plurality of charge carrier storage regions and the readout circuit is configured to read out signals from individual charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to direct the sensed charge carrier into a selected charge carrier storage region of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon a time at which the sensed charge carrier is generated in the photodetection region.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to selectively direct sensed charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based on times which the sensed charge carriers are generated in the photodetection region.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises:

a charge carrier travel region configured to receive the sensed charge carrier 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 sensed charge carrier in the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, the sensed charge carrier then being a captured charge carrier.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrodes is formed over the charge carrier travel region.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the plurality of the electrodes is configured to establish an electric potential gradient in the charge carrier travel region to cause the sensed charge carrier to travel along the charge carrier travel region.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to capture the sensed charge carrier by producing a potential barrier at a first location within the charge carrier travel region.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is configured to produce the potential barrier by changing a voltage of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to transfer the captured charge carrier from the charge carrier travel region into a first charge carrier storage region of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is configured to transfer the captured charge carrier from the charge carrier travel region into the first charge carrier storage region by changing a voltage of at least one electrode overlying the charge carrier travel region.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is configured to read out the signal by sampling an amplified reset signal based upon a reset signal applied to a first node, transferring charge from the at least one charge carrier storage region to the first node, and sampling a second amplified signal based upon the charge transferred from the at least one charge carrier storage region to the first node.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the readout circuit is configured to sequentially read out the signals from the individual charge carrier storage regions.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein a first pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises:

the photodetection region;

the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

the charge carrier segregation structure.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein a second pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises:

a second photodetection region;

at least one second charge carrier storage region; and

a second charge carrier segregation structure.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

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 sensed charge carrier, if captured during the charge carrier capture phase, is transferred to the at least one charge carrier storage region.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform the measurement a plurality of times to aggregate sensed charge carriers in the at least one charge carrier storage region.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the plurality of times is at least one thousand times.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the plurality of times is at least one million times.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the plurality of measurements is performed in less than 50 milliseconds.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the plurality of measurements is performed in greater than one millisecond.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 16,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control the readout circuit to read out a signal from the at least one charge carrier storage region after performing the measurement the plurality of times.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 21, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to direct the sensed charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon times at which the sensed charge carriers are produced, and the control circuit is configured to control the readout circuit to read out signals from the plurality of charge carrier storage regions after performing the measurement the plurality of times.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the measurement based on a timing of the first excitation light pulse.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:

(i) analyze one or more signals from the at least one charge carrier storage region to produce information regarding arrival of photons over time;

(ii) transmit information regarding one or more signals from the at least one charge carrier storage region to a computing device for analysis;

or perform both (i) and (ii).

25. The integrated circuit of claim 24, wherein the integrated circuit or the computing device is configured to analyze the one or more signals to calculate a luminance lifetime or discriminate a first luminance lifetime from a second luminance lifetime.

26. The integrated circuit of claim 24, wherein the integrated circuit or the computing device is configured to analyze the one or more signals to calculate a fluorescence lifetime or discriminate a first fluorescence lifetime from a second fluorescence lifetime.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is a CMOS integrated circuit.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to measure and/or discriminate a luminescence lifetime.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 28, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to measure and/or discriminate a fluorescence lifetime.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 29, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 30, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging of tissue.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 31, wherein the integrated circuit is incorporated into a clinical or surgical imaging device.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform imaging based on arrival times of photons.

34. The integrated circuit of claim 33, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform time-of-flight imaging.

35. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to obtain image information regarding distances light traveled to respective pixels of the integrated circuit.

36. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to detect photons to sequence a nucleic acid.

37. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to receive incident photons from fluorophores.

38. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrodes over the photodetection region, thereby forming a plurality of photogates.

39. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises an electrode coupled to a decoupling capacitor.

40. The integrated circuit of claim 39, wherein the decoupling capacitor is a discrete capacitor separate from the integrated circuit.

41. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a charge carrier confinement region comprising the photodetection region and a charge carrier travel region, wherein the photodetection region and the charge carrier travel region comprise a semiconductor material.

42. The integrated circuit of claim 41, wherein the charge carrier travel region extends to the at least one charge carrier storage region.

43. The integrated circuit of claim 1, configured to produce an electrical potential gradient in the photodetection region that transfers the first and second charge carriers into a charge carrier travel region.

44. The integrated circuit of claim 43, further comprising a plurality of electrodes, a junction, or both a plurality of electrodes and a junction, that produces the electrical potential gradient.

45. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises;

a charge carrier travel region configured to receive the sensed charge carrier 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 sensed charge carrier in the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, the sensed charge carrier then being a captured charge carrier,

wherein the control circuit is configured to capture the sensed charge carrier by producing a potential barrier at a first location within the charge carrier travel region, wherein the control circuit is configured to produce the potential barrier by changing a voltage of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to produce 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.

46. The integrated circuit of claim 45, wherein control circuit is configured to change the voltage of the first electrode at a first time and to change the voltage of the second electrode at a second time after the first time.

47. The integrated circuit of claim 46, wherein the control circuit is configured to produce a third potential barrier at a third location within the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of a third electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

48. The integrated circuit of claim 47, wherein the control circuit is configured to change the voltage of the third electrode at a third time after the second time.

49. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the charge carrier segregation structure comprises;

a charge carrier travel region configured to receive the sensed charge carrier 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 sensed charge carrier in the charge carrier travel region by changing a voltage of one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, the sensed charge carrier then being a captured charge carrier,

wherein the control circuit is configured to transfer the captured charge carrier from the charge carrier travel region into a first charge carrier storage region of the at least one charge carrier storage region,

wherein the control circuit is configured to transfer the captured charge carrier from the charge carrier travel region into the first charge carrier storage region by changing a voltage of at least one electrode overlying the charge carrier travel region, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to transfer the captured charge carrier from the charge carrier travel region into the first charge carrier storage region by changing a voltage of a first electrode overlying the captured charge carrier and changing a voltage of a second electrode overlying the charge carrier travel region.

50. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region;

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the integrated circuit comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein a first pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises;

the photodetection region;

the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

the charge carrier segregation structure,

wherein the photodetection region is a first photodetection region, the at least one charge carrier storage region is at least one first charge carrier storage region and the charge carrier segregation structure is a first charge carrier segregation structure, wherein the first pixel further comprises;

a second photodetection region;

at least one second charge carrier storage region; and

a second charge carrier segregation structure.

51. The integrated circuit of claim 50, wherein the first photodetection region is configured to receive incident photons of a first wavelength and the second photodetection region is configured to receive incident photons of a second wavelength.

52. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse, the integrated circuit further comprising;

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 sensed 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 the first excitation light pulse, and

wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to discard the first plurality of charge carriers produced in response to photons from the first excitation light pulse.

53. The integrated circuit of claim 52,

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 sensed charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon times at which the sensed charge carriers are produced, wherein the measurement is a first measurement, the charge carrier capture phase is a first charge carrier capture phase, and the charge carrier transfer phase is a first charge carrier transfer phase, wherein the first charge carrier transfer phase transfers a first sensed charge carrier of the sensed charge carriers to a first corresponding storage region of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions,

wherein the control circuit is 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 second sensed charge carrier of the sensed charge carriers is transferred 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.

54. The integrated circuit of claim 53, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure to perform each of the first and second measurements a plurality of times to aggregate the sensed charge carriers in the plurality of charge carrier storage regions.

55. The integrated circuit of claim 54, wherein the control circuit is configured to alternate between controlling the charge carrier segregation structure to perform the first measurement and controlling the charge carrier segregation structure to perform the second measurement.

56. The integrated circuit of claim 54, wherein the plurality of times is at least one thousand times.

57. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse of a first wavelength, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the photodetection region is configured to receive, during a first time interval, at least one first photon emitted from a luminescent molecule in response to the first excitation light pulse, the photodetection region being configured to produce at least the sensed charge carrier in response to the at least one first photon, the sensed charge carrier being a first sensed charge carrier, and wherein the photodetection region is configured to receive, during a second time interval, at least one second photon emitted from a luminescent molecule in response to a second light excitation pulse of a second wavelength, the photodetection region being configured to produce at least a second sensed charge carrier in response to the at least one second photon.

58. The integrated circuit of claim 57, wherein the at least one charge carrier storage region comprises a plurality of charge carrier storage regions, the plurality of charge carrier storage regions comprising a first set of one or more charge carrier storage regions and a second set of one or more charge carrier storage regions, wherein the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to selectively direct the first sensed charge carrier into a corresponding charge carrier storage region of the first set based upon a time the first sensed charge carrier is produced, and the charge carrier segregation structure is configured to selectively direct the second sensed charge carrier into a corresponding charge carrier storage region of the second set based upon a time at which the second sensed charge carrier is produced.

59. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse, the integrated circuit further comprising;

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 sensed 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.

60. The integrated circuit of claim 59, 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 sensed charge carriers into respective charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions based upon times at which the sensed charge carriers are produced,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control the charge carrier segregation structure such that the plurality of charge carrier storage regions correspond to a first plurality of time bins during a first plurality of measurements and the plurality of charge carrier storage regions correspond to a second plurality of time bins during a second plurality of measurements.

61. The integrated circuit of claim 60, wherein the second plurality of measurements are after the first plurality of measurements and the second plurality of time bins has a higher time resolution than that of the first plurality of time bins.

62. The integrated circuit of claim 60, wherein the control circuit is configured to analyze a quantity of charge carriers collected during the first plurality of measurements and set a timing of the second plurality of time bins based upon the quantity of charge carriers collected.

63. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the integrated circuit is configured to receive incident photons from fluorophores, and

wherein the fluorophores comprise a first fluorophore having a first fluorescent lifetime and a second fluorophore having a second fluorescent lifetime, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to produce information regarding the time of arrival of photons from the first fluorophore and information regarding the time of arrival of photons from the second fluorophore.

64. The integrated circuit of claim 63, wherein the first fluorophore is indirectly attached to a first nucleotide via a first linker molecule and the second fluorophore is indirectly attached to a second nucleotide by a second linker molecule.

65. The integrated circuit of claim 63, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging.

66. The integrated circuit of claim 65, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to perform fluorescence lifetime imaging of tissue.

67. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the integrated circuit comprises a charge carrier confinement region comprising the photodetection region and a charge carrier travel region, wherein the photodetection region and the charge carrier travel region comprise a semiconductor material, and

wherein a width of the photodetection region is tapered at an end of the photodetection region adjacent the charge carrier travel region.

68. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a photodetection region;

at least one charge carrier storage region; and

a charge carrier segregation structure configured to;

remove, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discard the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in the at least one charge carrier storage region; and

following the removal of the first plurality of charge carriers generated by the first excitation light pulse, remove, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and direct the sensed charge carrier into the at least one charge carrier storage region prior to the photodetection region generating a second plurality of charge carriers by a second excitation light pulse,

wherein the integrated circuit comprises a charge carrier confinement region comprising the photodetection region and a charge carrier travel region, wherein the photodetection region and the charge carrier travel region comprise a semiconductor material, and

wherein the at least one charge carrier storage region comprises a plurality of charge carrier storage regions and the charge carrier travel region includes a plurality of extensions of the charge carrier travel region individually extending to individual charge carrier storage regions of the plurality of charge carrier storage regions.