Accelerated particle and high energy radiation sensor
First Claim
1. A monolithic sensor adapted for use in the detection of accelerated particles or high energy radiation, the sensor comprisinga charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type;
- at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry;
at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer whereby when charge carriers are generated in the charge carrier transport layer, the charge carriers move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal and wherein the sensor is capable of withstanding bombardment by accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said charge carriers do not pass through a portion of said first well located closest to said second well, wherein said first well substantially surrounds said second well, and wherein said integrated readout circuitry in said first well provides readout of said signal, andwherein the first and second wells are formed in the charge carrier transport layer and the second well is isolated from the first well.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An accelerated electron detector comprises an array of monolithic sensors in a CMOS structure, each sensor comprising a substrate (10), an epi layer (11), a p+ well (12) and n+ wells (13) which are separated from the p+ well (12) by the epi layer (11). Integrated in the p+ well are a plurality of NMOS transistors. The sensor also includes a deep n region (15) beneath the p+ well (12) which establishes within the epi layer a depletion layer so that on application of a biasing voltage charge carriers generated in the epi layer are caused to drift to the n+ well (13). The detector has improved radiation hardness and it therefore suitable for the detection and imaging of accelerated electrons such as in electron microscopes.
51 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A monolithic sensor adapted for use in the detection of accelerated particles or high energy radiation, the sensor comprising
a charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type; -
at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry; at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer whereby when charge carriers are generated in the charge carrier transport layer, the charge carriers move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal and wherein the sensor is capable of withstanding bombardment by accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said charge carriers do not pass through a portion of said first well located closest to said second well, wherein said first well substantially surrounds said second well, and wherein said integrated readout circuitry in said first well provides readout of said signal, and wherein the first and second wells are formed in the charge carrier transport layer and the second well is isolated from the first well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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7. A monolithic sensor for use in the detection of accelerated particles or high energy radiation, the sensor comprising:
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a charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type and generating charge carriers from accelerated particles or high energy radiation; at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry; at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer so that charge carriers generated in the charge carrier transport layer move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal as a result of detected accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said first and second wells are configured to prevent said charge carriers from migrating through a portion of said first well located closest to said second well, and wherein said integrated readout circuitry in said first well provides readout of said signal; and a third well having dopants of the second conductivity type, wherein the third well is located beneath the first well. - View Dependent Claims (37, 40)
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10. A monolithic sensor for use in the detection of accelerated particles or high energy radiation, the sensor comprising:
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a charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type and generating charge carriers from accelerated particles or high energy radiation; at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry; at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer so that charge carriers generated in the charge carrier transport layer move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal as a result of detected accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said integrated readout circuitry in said first well provides readout of said signal; and a third well having dopants of the second conductivity type, wherein the third well is located adjacent the first well and wherein an isolation layer is provided between the third well and the charge carrier transport layer and wherein the second well extends through the isolation layer to the charge carrier layer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 38, 41)
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21. An electron microscope comprising:
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an evacuated housing containing an electron source, electron beam acceleration and confinement means, at least one electron beam focusing system, and a detector having first and second opposed surfaces, the detector comprising an integrated array of monolithic sensors, each of said sensors comprising; a charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type and generating charge carriers from accelerated particles or high energy radiation; at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry; and at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer so that charge carriers generated in the charge carrier transport layer move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal as a result of detected accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said charge carriers do not pass through a portion of said first well located closest to said second well, wherein the second well is isolated from the first well. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A monolithic sensor for use in the detection of accelerated particles or high energy radiation, the sensor comprising:
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a charge carrier transport layer, the charge carrier transport layer having dopants of a first conductivity type and generating charge carriers from accelerated particles or high energy radiation; at least one first well having dopants of the first conductivity type at a higher concentration than the charge carrier transport layer and having integrated therein readout circuitry; at least one second well having dopants of a second conductivity type forming a first junction with the charge carrier transport layer so that charge carriers generated in the charge carrier transport layer move towards and are collected at the junction between the charge carrier transport layer and the second well to generate a signal as a result of detected accelerated particles or high energy radiation, wherein said first and second well are configured to prevent said charge carriers from migrating through a portion of said first well located closest to said second well, wherein said first well substantially surrounds said second well, and wherein said integrated readout circuitry in said first well provides readout of said signal, wherein the second well is adjacent to the first well, and a second layer different from the first well and from the charge carrier transport layer, is interposed between the first well and the charge carrier transport layer. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification