Quantum dot optical devices with enhanced gain and sensitivity and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9054246-B2
Application number	US-201414275712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2004
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

Various embodiment include optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. Under one aspect, an optical device includes an integrated circuit having an array of conductive regions, and an optically sensitive material over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and in electrical communication with at least one conductive region of the array of conductive regions. Under another aspect, a film includes a network of fused nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, wherein the core of at least a portion of the fused nanocrystals is in direct physical contact and electrical communication with the core of at least one adjacent fused nanocrystal, and wherein the film has substantially no defect states in the regions where the cores of the nanocrystals are fused. Additional devices and methods are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A focal plane array, comprising:
an integrated circuit including at least one pixel electrode;
an optically sensitive layer formed on the integrated circuit, a region of the optically sensitive layer substantially overlying the at least one pixel electrode;
a counterelectrode configured to apply a potential difference between the at least one pixel electrode and the counterelectrode;
wherein a signal is configured to be relayed from the at least one pixel electrode to the integrated circuit; and
wherein the gain of the optically sensitive layer is configured to be tuned by changing the potential difference.

2. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the signal is an electronic signal.

3. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit includes silicon.

4. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the optically sensitive layer is configured to sensitize the focal plane array into at least one of the ranges where the ranges include the visible spectral range, the x-ray range, the ultraviolet range, the near infrared range, the short wavelength infrared range, and the long-wavelength infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

5. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the optically sensitive layer includes quantum dot nanocrystals.

6. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the optically sensitive layer includes at least one semiconducting polymer.

7. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the optically sensitive layer has been formed by spin-coating.

8. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the optically sensitive layer has been formed by vapor-phase processing.

9. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pixel electrode forms a substantially square electrode pad.

10. The focal plane array of claim 1 , wherein a sequence of signals from a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponds to an image.

11. The focal plane array of claim 10 , wherein the sequence of signals from the integrated circuit is related to a map of the intensity of light impinging on the optically sensitive layer averaged across an exposure period.

Assignees

• Invisage Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Sargent Edward Hartley
• Clifford Jason Paul
• Konstantatos Gerasimos
• Howard Ian
• Klem Ethan J D
• Levina Larissa

Classifications

• H10P14/3461

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• H10P14/3402

  characterised by the chemical composition · CPC title

• H10P14/265

  using solutions · CPC title

• H10F77/1698

  the metallic or insulating substrates being flexible · CPC title

• H10F77/1433

  Quantum dots · CPC title