Combined detector

• US 8,388,893 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University Corporation Toyohashi University Of Technology
• Original Assignee: National University Corporation Toyohashi University Of Technology
• Inventors: Sawada, Kazuaki, Matsuo, Junichi, Nakazawa, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, DENNIS MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/809,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20110236263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 422/52, 422/73, 422/82.01, 422/82.05, 422/82.08, 422/82.09, 422/82.11, 422/99, 422/102, 422/407, 422/501, 422/502, 422/503, 422/504, 436/164, 436/177, 436/43, 436/63, 436/149, 436/172, 436/174, 436/518, 436/805, 436/809, 506/30, 435/29, 435/4, 435/6, 435/7.1, 250/214.1, 250/251, 250/576, 530/408, 714/752
• US Class Current: 422/82.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8507 Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4035 Combination of a single ion-sensing electrode and a single reference electrode G01N27/406 and G01N27/413 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4148 Integrated circuits therefor, e.g. fabricated by CMOS processing CMOS processing per se H01L21/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

A combined detector capable of simultaneously detecting both a value indicating a physical/chemical phenomenon such as a pH value and the intensity of an energy beam such as light. The combined detector comprises a physical/chemical phenomenon detecting system (10) and an energy beam detecting system. The physical/chemical phenomenon detecting system (10) has a sensing section (21) whose potential varies with a physical/chemical phenomenon, a charge supply section (22) for supplying first charge to the sensing section, a charge supply control section (23) provided between the sensing section (21) and the charge supply section (22), a first charge storage section (26) for storing the first charge transferred from the sensing section (21), and a charge transfer control section (27) provided between the sensing section (21) and the first charge storage section (26). The sensing section (21) includes a semiconductor charge generating portion (15) for generating the first charge and second charge when receiving an energy beam such as light. The energy beam detecting system has the semiconductor charge generating portion (15) and a second charge storage section (31) adapted to store the second charge generated by the semiconductor charge generating portion (15) and having an opposite potential to the first charge storage section (26) with respect to the sensing section (21).

Claims

1. A combined detector comprising a chemical and physical phenomenon detecting system and an energy beam detecting system:

said chemical and physical phenomenon detecting system comprising

a first sensing section changed in potential depending on chemical and physical phenomenon,

a first charge supply section configured to supply a first charge to said first sensing section,

a first charge supply control section formed between said first sensing section and said first charge supply section,

a first charge storage section configured to store said first charge transferred from said first sensing section, and

a first charge transfer control section formed between said first sensing section and said first charge storage section,

said first sensing section including a semiconductor charge generating section configured to generate an additional charge of the same polarity as said first charge and a second charge having opposite polarity to said first charge by receiving an energy beam including light, and

said energy beam detecting system comprising

said semiconductor charge generating section, and

a second charge storage section configured to store said second charge generated in said semiconductor charge generating section and provided with opposite potential to said first charge storage section.

2. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein said first charge is an electron and said second charge is a hole.

3. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein a buried channel layer of opposite conductivity to conductivity of a semiconductor substrate is formed beneath a surface of said semiconductor substrate in said semiconductor charge generating section.

4. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein said first charge supply section and said first charge storage section are formed at two opposed sides of said first sensing section, and said second charge storage section is formed at a remaining side of said first sensing section.

5. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein said first charge supply section and said first charge storage section are formed at two adjacent sides of said first sensing section, and said second charge storage section is formed at remaining sides of said first sensing section.

6. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein said second charge storage section is provided with an output gate disposed via an insulating film and further includes means for reading out a first charge produced in said output gate by capacitance coupling corresponding to said second charge stored in said second charge storage section.

7. The combined detector according to claim 1, comprising:

a second sensing section changed in potential depending on potential of said second charge storage section,

a second charge supply section for supplying said first charge or said second charge to said second sensing section,

a second charge supply control section formed between said second sensing section and said second charge supply section,

a third charge storage section for storing said first charge or said second charge transferred from said second sensing section, and

a second charge transfer control section formed between said second sensing section and said third charge storage section,

wherein timing of supplying a charge from said second charge supply section to said second sensing section is synchronized with timing of supplying a charge from said first charge supply section to said first sensing section, and timing of transferring a charge from said second sensing section to said third charge storage section is synchronized with timing of transferring a charge from said first sensing section to said first charge storage section.

8. The combined detector according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor charge generating section is doped with a first conductivity type impurity material, said energy beam detecting system comprises a reset gate electrode and a well region doped with said first conductivity type impurity material, and

said second charge storage section is surrounded by said semiconductor charge generating section, said reset gate electrode, said well region and said first charge supply control section, and is provided with opposite potential to said first charge storage section as compared with said first sensing section.