Plurality of linear sensor arrays with submicron y-axis alignment between arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020228674-A1
Application number	US-201916246971-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2019
Priority date	Jan 14, 2019
Publication date	Jul 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor array assembly including a first sensor array, a second sensor array and a mounting substrate. The first sensor array includes a first process direction width and a first photosite, while the second sensor array includes a second process direction width and a second photosite. The first and second sensor arrays are separately secured on the mounting substrate. The first photosite is in precision alignment with the second photosite.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor array assembly comprising:
a first sensor array comprising a first process direction width and a first photosite; a second sensor array comprising a second process direction width and a second photosite; and, a mounting substrate whereon the first sensor array and the second sensor array are separately secured, wherein the first photosite is in precision alignment with the second photosite.

2 . The sensor array assembly of claim 1 wherein the first sensor array comprises at least two first sub-arrays each comprising a plurality of photosites, and the second sensor array comprises at least two second sub-arrays each comprising a plurality of photosites, and the plurality of photosites of the at least two first sub-arrays are in precision alignment with the plurality of photosites of the at least two second sub-arrays.

3 . The sensor array assembly of claim 1 wherein the first sensor array is positioned a first distance from the second sensor array, the first distance is greater than or equal to the first process direction width or the second process direction width.

4 . The sensor array assembly of claim 1 wherein the first photosite comprises a first masked portion and a first unmasked portion and the second photosite comprises a second masked portion and a second unmasked portion.

5 . The sensor array assembly of claim 4 wherein the first masked portion is in alignment with the second unmasked portion, the second masked portion is in alignment with the first unmasked portion.

6 . The sensor array assembly of claim 4 wherein the first unmasked portion is in partial overlapped alignment with the second unmasked portion.

7 . The sensor array assembly of claim 4 wherein each of the first unmasked portion and the second unmasked portion comprises a shape selected from the group of: a trapezoid; a triangle; a polygon comprising greater than four sides; and, a combination thereof.

8 . The sensor array assembly of claim 4 wherein the first unmasked portion comprises a first filter and the second unmasked portion comprises a second filter.

9 . The sensor array assembly of claim 8 wherein the first filter passes a first spectrum and the second filter passes a second spectrum.

10 . The sensor array assembly of claim 9 wherein the first spectrum is different than the second spectrum.

11 . The sensor array assembly of claim 1 wherein the first sensor array comprises a first row of photosites and a second row of photosites, the second sensor array comprises a third row of photosites and a fourth row of photosites, the first row of photosites comprises the first photosite, the second row of photosites comprises a third photosite, the third row of photosites comprises the second photosite, the fourth row of photosites comprises a fourth photosite, and the first photosite is in precision alignment with the second photosite, the third photosite and the fourth photosite.

12 . The sensor array assembly of claim 11 wherein the first photosite comprises a first masked portion and a first unmasked portion, the second photosite comprises a second masked portion and a second unmasked portion, the third photosite comprises a third masked portion and a third unmasked portion and the fourth photosite comprises a fourth masked portion and a fourth unmasked portion.

13 . The sensor array assembly of claim 12 wherein the first masked portion is in alignment with the second unmasked portion, the second masked portion is in alignment with the first unmasked portion, the third masked portion is in alignment with the fourth unmasked portion, and the fourth masked portion is in alignment with the third unmasked portion.

14 . The sensor array assembly of claim 12 wherein the first unmasked portion is in partial overlapped alignment with the second unmasked portion and the third unmasked portion is in partial overlapped alignment with the fourth unmasked portion.

15 . The sensor array assembly of claim 12 wherein each of the first unmasked portion, the second unmasked portion, the third unmasked portion, and the fourth unmasked portion comprises a shape selected from the group of: a trapezoid; a triangle; a polygon comprising greater than four sides; and, a combination thereof.

16 . The sensor array assembly of claim 12 wherein the first unmasked portion comprises a first filter, the second unmasked portion comprises a second filter, the third unmasked portion comprises a third filter, and the fourth unmasked portion comprises a fourth filter.

17 . The sensor array assembly of claim 16 wherein the first filter passes a first spectrum, the second filter passes a second spectrum, the third filter passes a third spectrum, and the fourth filter passes a fourth spectrum.

18 . The sensor array assembly of claim 17 wherein the first spectrum is different than the second spectrum, the third spectrum and the fourth spectrum.

19 . The sensor array assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a third sensor array comprising a third process direction width and a third photosite,
wherein the third sensor array is separately secured to the mounting substrate and the first photosite, the second photosite and the third photosite are in precision alignment with each other.

20 . A sensor array assembly comprising:
a first sensor array comprising a first photosite; a second sensor array comprising a second photosite; a first sacrificial zone arranged between and connecting the first sensor array and the second sensor array; and, a mounting substrate whereon the first sensor array and the second sensor array are bonded, wherein the first sacrificial zone is removed after the first sensor array and the second sensor array are bonded to the mounting substrate and the first photosite is in precision alignment with the second photosite.

21 . The sensor array assembly of claim 20 further comprising:
a third sensor array comprising a third photosite;
a second sacrificial zone arranged between and connecting the second sensor array and the third sensor array,
wherein the third sensor array is bonded to the mounting substrate, the second sacrificial zone is removed after the first sensor array, second sensor array and third sensor array are bonded to the mounting substrate and the first photosite, the second photosite, and the third photosite are in precision alignment with each other.

22 . A sensor array assembly comprising:
a first sensor array comprising a first row of photosites and a second row of photosites, the first row of photosites comprises a first photosite, and the second row of photosites comprises a second photosite; a second sensor array comprising a third row of photosites and a fourth row of photosites, the third row of photosites comprises a third photosite, and the fourth row of photosites comprises a fourth photosite; a sacrificial zone arranged between the first sensor array and the second sensor array; and, a mounting substrate whereon the first sensor array and the second sensor array are bonded, wherein the sacrificial zone is removed after the first sensor array and the second sensor array are bonded to the mounting substrate and the first photosite is in precision alignment with the second photosite, the third photosite and the fourth photosite.

23 . The sensor array assembly of claim 22 wherein the first sensor array further comprises a fifth row of photosites and a sixth row of photos

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Casey Joseph F
• Redding Gary D
• Herloski Robert P

Classifications

• H10F77/413

  directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42) · CPC title

• G01J2003/2806

  Array and filter array · CPC title

• G01J2003/2813

  2D-array · CPC title

• G01J3/2803 Primary

  using photoelectric array detector · CPC title

• G01J3/2889

  Rapid scan spectrometers; Time resolved spectrometry · CPC title