Patent ID: 11867843
Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 19:
20. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a memory storing programming instructions that, when executed, will cause one or more processors to:
in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system that comprises:
a detector array comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel comprises one or more detectors, a plurality of which are configured to receive pulses of energy, and
a mask material that is positioned to cover some but not all of the detectors of the plurality of pixels to yield blocked pixels and unblocked pixels so that each blocked pixel is prevented from detecting the pulses of energy;

receive characteristic data of signals received by the blocked pixels and the unblocked pixels; and
compare the characteristic data of the signals received by the blocked pixels with the characteristic data of the signals received by the unblocked pixels to determine a measurement of intrinsic noise in the detector array,
wherein:
each detector comprises a photosensor that comprises:
a surface region of p-type semiconductor material that is positioned to receive light;
a drift region of n-type semiconductor material;
a conductive trace that is connected to the surface region and positioned to serve as an anode for the photosensor; and
an absorber comprised of a semiconductor material and configured to have a lower bandgap energy than the incident photon energy to generate an exciton to create a current that is measured through the conductive trace,

the detector array comprises a substrate on which the photosensors are positioned,
the substrate is configured to function as a cathode for each of the photosensors,
each blocked pixel has the mask material positioned over its surface region to block light from entering the blocked pixel through the surface region, and
a width of the mask material of each blocked pixel is greater than a width of the surface region of each blocked pixel.