Light-sensing array with wedge-like reflective optical concentrators
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical detector, comprising:
- an image receiving surface formed on a semiconductor substrate, including at least a photosensitive area and an adjacent non-photosensitive area and operating to receive light incident upon said detector from the side of said imaging receiving surface; and
a light collecting element formed over said image receiving surface relative to said photosensitive area and said non-photosensitive area and configured to couple said incident light to said image receiving surface by reflection and to enhance a light-collecting efficiency of said photosensitive area and imaging resolution without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection,wherein said light collecting element includes at least two light reflecting surfaces, adjacent said photosensitive area and each forming an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said image receiving surface, said light reflecting surfaces operable to reflect at least a portion of light which would otherwise impinge on said non-photosensitive area towards the photosensitive area,wherein said two light reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said image receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said image receiving surface.
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Abstract
Wedge-shaped optical reflectors are used to reflect optical energy. Certain optical energy is incoming toward an area of the chip that is housing the non-photosensitive electronics. Wedges are used to reflect that radiation toward the photosensitive electronics.
73 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optical detector, comprising:
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an image receiving surface formed on a semiconductor substrate, including at least a photosensitive area and an adjacent non-photosensitive area and operating to receive light incident upon said detector from the side of said imaging receiving surface; and a light collecting element formed over said image receiving surface relative to said photosensitive area and said non-photosensitive area and configured to couple said incident light to said image receiving surface by reflection and to enhance a light-collecting efficiency of said photosensitive area and imaging resolution without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said light collecting element includes at least two light reflecting surfaces, adjacent said photosensitive area and each forming an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said image receiving surface, said light reflecting surfaces operable to reflect at least a portion of light which would otherwise impinge on said non-photosensitive area towards the photosensitive area, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said image receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said image receiving surface. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A photodetector, comprising:
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a substrate, including a sensing surface which has a first photosensitive area and a second non-photosensitive area; and a reflective element formed on said sensing surface and located in a location to reflect at least a portion of incident radiant energy incident to said substrate from said sensing surface side that would otherwise impinge on said second area to said first area, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, wherein said reflective element is configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing surface. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method of acquiring radiation over an area, comprising:
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positioning a radiation sensitive element formed on a receiving surface of a semiconductor substrate to receive radiation; and using at least one reflective surface of a wedge-like structure having a plurality of reflective surfaces and formed on said receiving surface to reflect at least a part of the radiation that is incident in a direction where said part would not impinge on said radiation sensitive element, toward said radiation sensitive element, without a lensing operation or an operation of total internal reflection, using at least two of said reflective surfaces to operate in combination to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said receiving surface at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said receiving surface.
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6. An optical detector, comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second opposite side, said first side having a sensing surface configured to receive radiation incident to said substrate from said first side; a plurality of detector pixels formed on said sensing surface as a sensing array, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed on said sensing surface atop of said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of micro-wedges having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, wherein each micro-wedge has a base and at least two reflective surfaces that respectively intersect said base to form an acute angle with respect to a normal direction of said base and is positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of said radiation incident from said first side that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, without a lensing operation. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical detector, comprising:
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a sensing array of detector pixels formed on a semiconductor substrate and operable to convert photons into electrical signals, each detector pixel including a radiation-sensitive area and a non-radiation-sensitive area; and a light coupling array formed over said detector pixels and comprised of a plurality of coupling elements having straight edges that form radiation-receiving openings to continuously connect to one another without gaps so that any radiation ray incident to said light coupling array is received by one of said radiation-receiving openings, each coupling element having at least two reflective surfaces and positioned relative to said radiation-sensitive area so that said reflecting surfaces direct at least a portion of incident radiation that would otherwise impinge non-radiation-sensitive areas to respective radiation-sensitive areas, wherein said two light reflecting surfaces in each coupling element are configured to reflect certain light rays that are incident towards said sensing array at an incident angle larger than a prespecified incident angle away from said sensing array. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification