Patent ID: 7796174

Claim:
A photon sensor system, comprising: a first charge coupled device photon detector on a first semiconductor substrate, wherein the first charge coupled device photon detector is at least sensitive to light having a wavelength within a visible range of wavelengths; a first sense node on the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the first photon detector is interconnected to the first sense node, and wherein no amplifier is included on the first semiconductor substrate that is interconnected to the first photon detector; a first readout circuit on a second semiconductor substrate; a first signal line, wherein the first readout circuit on the second semiconductor substrate is electrically interconnected to the first sense node on the first semiconductor substrate by a first connection including the first signal line, wherein the first sense node on the first semiconductor substrate provides a voltage signal to the first readout circuit on the second semiconductor substrate, wherein the first and second semiconductor substrates are directly mechanically interconnected to one another.