Light detector and a method for detecting light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197441-B1
Application number	US-201815883654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A method and a light detector that includes (i) a photon to electron converter a photon to one or more photoelectrons; (ii) a photoelectron detection circuit that includes a photoelectron sensing region; (iii) a chamber; (iv) a bias circuit that is configured to supply to the light detector one or more biasing signals for accelerating a propagation of the one or more photoelectrons within the chamber and towards the photoelectron sensing region; (iv) a photoelectron manipulator that is configured to operate in a selected operational mode out of multiple operational modes that differ by their level of blocking, (v) a controller that is configured to control the photoelectron manipulator based on a feedback about the at least one of (a) the photon, (b) the one or more photoelectrons, (c) a previous photon and, (d) previous one or more photoelectrons.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light detector, comprising:
a photon to electron converter that is configured to convert a photon that impinges on the photon to electron converter to one or more photoelectrons;
a photoelectron detection circuit that comprises a photoelectron sensing region;
a chamber;
a bias circuit that is configured to supply, to the light detector, one or more biasing signals for accelerating a propagation of the one or more photoelectrons within the chamber towards the photoelectron sensing region;
a photoelectron manipulator that is configured to operate in a selected operational mode out of multiple operational modes, the multiple operational modes differing from each other by a level of blocking of the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region; and
a controller that is configured to control the level of blocking of the one or more photoelectrons by the photoelectron manipulator based on a feedback from a sensor about at least one of (a) the photon, (b) the one or more photoelectrons, (c) a previous photon that previously impinged on the photon to electron converter, and (d) a previous one or more photoelectrons that were previously outputted by the photon to electron converter.

2. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the photoelectron manipulator by selecting the selected operational mode.

3. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple operational modes comprise a full blocking mode during which the photoelectron manipulator is configured to completely prevent the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region.

4. The light detector according to claim 1 , further comprising the sensor, wherein the sensor is positioned within the light detector.

5. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is external to the light detector.

6. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense one or more electric outputs of the light detector.

7. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback is indicative of an intensity of at least a portion of a light beam that impinges on the photon to electron converter.

8. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback is indicative of a current of at least a portion of the photoelectrons that are detected by the photoelectron detection circuit.

9. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback is indicative of a current of at least a portion of the photoelectrons that are emitted by the photon to electron converter.

10. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectron manipulator is configured to at least partially block the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region by directing the one or more photoelectrons towards the photon to electron converter.

11. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectron manipulator is configured to at least partially block the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region by directing the one or more photoelectrons towards the chamber.

12. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectron manipulator is configured to at least partially block the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region by directing the one or more photoelectrons towards a part of the photoelectron detection circuit that differs from the photoelectron sensing region.

13. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectron manipulator is configured to at least partially block the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region by defocusing the one or more photoelectrons.

14. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is also configured to control the photoelectron manipulator based on estimated mapping between (a) a control voltage supplied to the photoelectron manipulator, and (b) photoelectron collection efficiency; and wherein the photoelectron collection efficiency is a ratio between (i) a number of photoelectrons that reach the photoelectron sensing region, and (ii) a number of photoelectrons that are emitted by the photon to electron converter.

15. The light detector according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional photoelectron detection circuit that comprises at least one additional photoelectron sensing region.

16. The light detector according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectron manipulator is a conductive apertured component that comprises one or more apertures.

17. The light detector according to claim 16 , wherein the conductive apertured component is a conductive grid.

18. The light detector according to claim 16 , wherein the conductive apertured component is a deflector.

19. The light detector according to claim 18 , wherein the deflector comprises a capacitor.

20. A method for light detection, comprising:
converting, by a photon to electron converter of a light detector, a photon that impinges on the photon to electron converter, to one or more photoelectrons;
supplying, by a bias circuit, to the light detector, one or more biasing signals for accelerating the one or more photoelectrons while the one or more photoelectrons propagate within a chamber of the light detector towards a photoelectron sensing region of the light detector;
operating a photoelectron manipulator in a selected operational mode out of multiple operational modes that differ from each other by a level of blocking of the one or more photoelectrons from reaching the photoelectron sensing region;
controlling the level of blocking of the one or more photoelectrons by the photoelectron manipulator based on feedback from a sensor about at least one of (a) the photon, (b) the one or more photoelectrons, (c) a previous photon that previously impinged on the photon to electron, and (d) a previous one or more photoelectrons that were previously outputted by the photon to electron converter; and
sensing, by the photoelectron detection circuit, the one or more photoelectrons when the one or more photoelectrons impinge on the photoelectron sensing region.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Matthews Raphael
• Kuzniz Tal
• Margulis Pavel

Classifications

• G01J2001/4446

  Type of detector · CPC title

• G01J2001/4466

  Avalanche · CPC title

• G01J2001/442

  Single-photon detection or photon counting · CPC title

• H01J40/16 Primary

  having photo- emissive cathode, e.g. alkaline photoelectric cell (operating with secondary emission H01J43/00) · CPC title

• G01J1/44 Primary

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title