A novel wide dynamic range silicon photodetector and linear imaging array

A novel silicon solid-state photodetector structure utilizing the MOSFET subthreshold effect was conceived, developed, fabricated, and experimental results were obtained. This photodetector device, which can be integrated on the same chip with MOSFET circuits or CCD´s, provides an analog voltage signal over a wide dynamic range. Fabricated photodetector devices and arrays showed experimentally, in the visible spectrum, an incoming radiation detection light intensity dynamic range of greater than 10⁷. In addition, the novel photodetector device was used to realize CCD and self-scanned MOSFET linear arrays. In this paper, we describe in detail the theory of the new photodetector device and its applications to form linear imaging arrays. Finally, we present experimental results obtained on developed and fabricated devices and arrays.