Gated silicon diode array camera tube

Abstract

A silicon diode array camera tube employs a p-n junction to perform gating and provide electronic gain control.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for converting light into an electrical signal comprising a semiconductive wafer having a light-receiving surface through which the light enters the wafer and produces photogenerated carriers in response to absorbed light, the wafer having adjacent one surface thereof remote from the light-receiving surface a first array of discrete rectifying barriers for collecting a flow of photo carriers in response to the absorbed light surrounded by regions free of rectifying barriers, insulating means coating said surface selectively at portions overlying regions free of rectifying barriers and leaving exposed portions overlying the rectifying barriers, and a second array of rectifying barriers interposed between those of said first array adjacent said surface and covered by said insulating means, and means to bias the rectifying barriers of said second array independently of said first array of rectifying barriers to direct at least a portion of the flow of photogenerated carriers from the first array to the second array. 
     
     
       2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer consists of silicon. 
     
     
       3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the insulating material is silicon dioxide. 
     
     
       4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said insulating layer and said rectifying carriers of said first array are covered by a layer of resistive material. 
     
     
       5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which the wafer consists of a substrate of uniformly doped n-type silicon. 
     
     
       6. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which the wafer is covered with a thin epitaxial layer of n-type silicon of lower resistivity than that of the wafer. 
     
     
       7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which the epitaxial layer is doped with Sb or As. .Iadd. 8. A device for converting light into an electrical signal comprising a semiconductive wafer having a light-receiving surface through which the light enters the wafer and produces photogenerated carriers in response to absorbed light, the wafer having adjacent one surface thereof and array of photosensitive elements for collecting a flow of photo carriers in response to the absorbed light, at least one rectifying barrier being disposed in projection adjacent said photosensitive elements, and means for reverse biasing said rectifying barrier independently of said array of photosensitive elements so as to extend the associated depletion zone between said light receiving surface and said array of photosensitive elements to direct at least a portion of the flow of photogenerated carriers from said array of photosensitive elements to said rectifying barrier. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the photosensitive elements are adjacent the surface remote from the light-receiving surface. .Iaddend.