Patent ID: 11881498
Assignee: AELUMA, INC.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 16:
17. A circuit for a photodetector comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal;
a silicon (Si) substrate comprising a surface region;
a buffer material comprising a compound semiconductor (CS) material deposited on the surface region of the Si substrate using direct heteroepitaxy such that the CS material is characterized by a first bandgap characteristic, a first thermal characteristic, a first polarity, and a first crystalline characteristic, and the Si substrate is characterized by a second bandgap characteristic, a second thermal characteristic, a second polarity, and a second crystalline characteristic;
an array of photodetectors, the array being characterized by N and M pixel elements, where N is an integer greater than 7, and M is an integer greater than 0; each of the pixel elements having a characteristic length ranging from 0.3 micrometers to 50 micrometers, each of the photodetectors comprising:
an n-type material;
an absorption material overlying the n-type material, the absorption material being primarily free from any impurity;
a p-type material overlying the absorption material;
a first electrode coupled to the n-type material and coupled to the first terminal;
a second electrode coupled to the p-type material and coupled to the second terminal to define a two terminal device;
an illumination region characterized by an aperture region to allow a plurality of photons to interact with the CS material and be absorbed by a portion of the absorption material to cause a generation of mobile charge carriers that produce an electric current between the first terminal and the second terminal;
a responsivity (Amperes/Watt) greater than 0.1 Amperes/Watt characterizing the circuit;
a photodiode quantum efficiency greater than 10% characterizing the circuit;
a readout integrated circuit comprising:
a first input terminal coupled to the first terminal;
a second input terminal coupled to the second terminal; and
a pixel output; and
an analog front end circuit coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal.