THERMAL-RADIATION IMAGING DEVICES AND SYSTEMS, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH IMAGING DEVICES

Abstract

A thermal-radiation imaging device comprises at least one semconductor body portion (10,20,30,40), e.g. of n-type cadmium mercury telluride, on which biasing-electrode means (1 to 4 and 4b to 44b), e.g. of gold, are spaced for causing a bias current predominantly of majority charge-carriers to flow along each strip (10,20,30,40). The bias current supports an ambipolar drift of radiation-generated charge carriers in the opposite direction. One or more read-out means (e.g. 11,21,51,41) is present in the drift path of each body portion (e.g. 10). The body portion (10,20,30,40) is present on a substrate 100 having a conductor pattern (61 to 64, 71 to 74, 81 to 84, 91 to 94) which provides electrical connections to each of the read-out means. Each read-out means which may be a diode junction or an electrode pair is formed at holes (reference a and b for an electrode pair) which extend through the thickness of the body portion (10,20,30,40) to the conductor pattern of the substrate (100). These holes can be formed with small transverse dimensions by ion-etching Metallization (7) which forms a connection to the substrate conductor pattern (61 to 64, 71 to 74, 81 to 84, 91 to 94) is deposited over substantially the whole side wall of each hole without extending on the upper major surface of the body portion (10,20,30,40). In this manner precise and reliable connections can be provided for the read-out means in a compact device structure without significantly interfering with the ambipolar drift of the minority carriers.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Inventor

• 1JOHN T. M. WOTHERSPOON

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