Patent ID: 8354282

Claim:
An all solid-state, monolithic, back-illuminated, semiconductor wafer substrate apparatus for transmitting ultraviolet, visible and near infrared radiation into the semiconductor layer with efficiency approaching 100%, comprising: a silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer, wherein said silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer comprises light detector elements (pixels) for imaging focal plane arrays, detecting radiation in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared; and a sapphire dielectric layer for providing mechanical support to said silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer, and also transmitting ultraviolet, visible and near infrared radiation; and an antireflective bilayer wherein said antireflective bilayer comprises a single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) antireflective layer and also a non-stoichiometric, silicon rich, amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN x<1.33 ) antireflective layer, said single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) antireflective layer disposed between said sapphire dielectric layer and said non-stoichiometric, silicon rich, amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN x<1.33 ) antireflective layer and said non-stoichiometric, silicon rich, amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN x<1.33 )antireflective layer disposed between said single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) antireflective layer and said silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer, for providing refractive index matching between said sapphire dielectric layer and said silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer to transmit ultraviolet, visible and near infrared radiation from said sapphire dielectric layer into said silicon (Si) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) semiconductor layer with efficiency approaching 100%; and a single one quarter wavelength thick, amorphous magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ) antireflective layer disposed between the ambient (air) and said sapphire dielectric layer for providing refractive index matching between said ambient (air) and said sapphire dielectric layer to transmit ultraviolet, visible and near infrared radiation from said ambient (air) into said sapphire dielectric layer with efficiency approaching 100%.