Patent ID: 8766393

Claim:
A method of detecting light, comprising: using a semiconductor structure as a photodetector to detect incident light and generate an electrical signal representative of the detected incident light, the semiconductor structure comprising: a body of semiconductor material having a surface comprising a first portion and a second portion; a layer of a first dielectric material being configured to contact the first portion of the surface of the body of semiconductor material; a second dielectric material contacting the second portion of the surface of the body of semiconductor material and configured to passivate the second portion; wherein the body of semiconductor material comprises: a first region doped to a first type of conductivity (p or n); and a second region peripherally around the first region doped to a second type of conductivity (n or p) opposite the first type of conductivity, the second region forming a p-n junction with the first region, the p-n junction intersecting the surface of the body of semiconductor material at the second portion of the surface; a plurality of ohmic contacts comprising a first ohmic contact to the first region and a second ohmic contact to the second region; and a highly doped semiconductor material substantially surrounding the layer of the first dielectric material, wherein the layer of the first dielectric material has a thickness configured to cause formation of an accumulation layer or an inversion layer at the first portion of the surface of the body of semiconductor material.