Integrated photodetector with charge storage bin of varied detection time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023137697-A1
Application number	US-202217839698-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons. The photodetection region is configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons. The integrated circuit includes a charge carrier storage region.
The integrated circuit also includes a charge carrier segregation structure configured to selectively direct charge carriers of the plurality of charge carriers directly into the at least one charge carrier storage region based upon times at which the charge carriers are produced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 .- 32 . (canceled)

32 . An integrated circuit, comprising:
a photodetection region configured to receive incident photons, the photodetection region being configured to produce a plurality of charge carriers in response to the incident photons; and a charge carrier storage region, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to: aggregate, in a charge storage region, first charge carriers received by a photodetection region within a first time period with respect to first trigger events; aggregate, in the charge storage region, second charge carriers received by the photodetection region within a second time period with respect to second trigger events; and read out signals representative of a first quantity of the first charge carriers and a second quantity of the second charge carriers; and analyze the first and second charge carriers to obtain a temporal characteristic of light received by the photodetection region.

33 . The integrated circuit of claim 32 , wherein the integrated circuit is further configured to comprising analyze the temporal characteristic to identify at least a portion of a molecule associated with emission of the light.

34 . A method, comprising:
aggregating, in a charge storage region, first charge carriers received by a photodetection region within a first time period with respect to first trigger events; aggregating, in the charge storage region, second charge carriers received by the photodetection region within a second time period with respect to second trigger events; and reading out signals representative of a first quantity of the first charge carriers and a second quantity of the second charge carriers; and analyzing the first and second charge carriers to obtain a temporal characteristic of light received by the photodetection region.

35 . The method of claim 34 , further comprising analyzing the temporal characteristic to identify at least a portion of a molecule associated with emission of the light.

Assignees

• Quantum Si Inc

Inventors

• Thurston Thomas Raymond
• Cipriany Benjamin
• Clark Joseph D
• Rearick Todd
• Fife Keith G

Classifications

• G01J1/42

  using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) · CPC title

• G01J1/0204

  Compact construction · CPC title

• G01J1/02

  Details · CPC title

• G01J1/00

  Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter (spectrophotometry G01J3/00; specially adapted for radiation pyrometry G01J5/00 {; exposure meters built in cameras G03B17/06}) · CPC title

• G01S7/48

  of systems according to group G01S17/00 · CPC title