Integrated device for temporal binning of received photons
First Claim
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1. 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 first excitation light pulse excites a luminescent molecule, and wherein the sensed charge carrier is generated in the photodetection region by a sensed photon received from the luminescent molecule in response to the luminescent molecule being excited by the first excitation light pulse.
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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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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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 first excitation light pulse excites a luminescent molecule, and wherein the sensed charge carrier is generated in the photodetection region by a sensed photon received from the luminescent molecule in response to the luminescent molecule being excited by the first excitation light pulse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An integrated circuit, comprising:
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a photodetection region; at least one charge carrier storage region; and means for; removing, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by a first excitation light pulse, and discarding 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, removing, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and directing 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 first excitation light pulse excites a luminescent molecule, and wherein the sensed charge carrier is generated in the photodetection region by a sensed photon received from the luminescent molecule in response to the luminescent molecule being excited by the first excitation light pulse.
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19. A photodetection method, comprising:
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receiving at a photodetection region, a first plurality of incident photons from a first excitation light pulse; removing, from the photodetection region, a first plurality of charge carriers generated therein by the first excitation light pulse, and discarding the first plurality of charge carriers by preventing the first plurality of charge carriers from being stored in 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, removing, from the photodetection region, a sensed charge carrier generated therein by a sensed photon, and directing 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 first excitation light pulse excites a luminescent molecule, and wherein the sensed charge carrier is generated in the photodetection region by a sensed photon received from the luminescent molecule in response to the luminescent molecule being excited by the first excitation light pulse.
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Specification