Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Position-Sensitive Detectors

Abstract

Optical position‐sensitive detectors are a useful class of sensor with a wide range of applications in machine control systems, industrial alignment, and robotic vision. They have distinct advantages over most arrayed discrete optical devices in that they can produce continuous optical signals, and versions based on thin‐film amorphous silicon are not restricted by crystal growth limits and so have the potential to be fabricated in large area format. Sputter‐deposited hydrogenated a‐Si also has features such as excellent adhesion to glass substrates, precise film thickness, and hydrogen content control, which are of some interest in device design and fabrication.

Near Infrared Lateral Photovoltaic Effect in LaTiO3Films

“…In order to improve the sensitivity and linearity of PSDs, many researchers have made efforts to study LPE in various kinds of materials systems, such as conventional p-n junctions, hydrogenated amorphous silicon based structures, porous silicon, Ti/Si amorphous superlattices, semiconducting polymer, metal-semiconductor and metal-insulatorsemiconductor structures, modulation-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure, and Cu 2 O nanoscale film, [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Almost all of the reported LPEs were applied in visible or ultraviolet region, while works concerning large LPE in near infrared (NIR) region have been rarely reported [10,11].…”

The Role of the Schottky Metal in Optical Responses of Optical Position Sensitive Detector

“…Some of the areas reported are very large, around 5 mm 80 mm [2] though the sensitivity tends to be quite low, being of the order of 1-2 mV/mm These amorphous devices show promising results [3]- [7] although the procedure is yet to be adopted as a commercial technology. While the prospects for commercial a-Si:H PSDs are good, the techniques used to fabricate them are quite complex and may be challenging to adopt in a commercial sense.…”

Conformable large-area position-sensitive photodetectors based on luminescence-collecting silicone waveguides

“…1 Large area applications may emerge in artificial skin for robots and for surrounding sensitive machinery, as well as for interactive human machine interfaces in computers-fields in which materials are needed that have high mechanical stability and conformability combined with easy fabrication processes. 1 Large area applications may emerge in artificial skin for robots and for surrounding sensitive machinery, as well as for interactive human machine interfaces in computers-fields in which materials are needed that have high mechanical stability and conformability combined with easy fabrication processes.…”

“…6 After further investigations by Wallmark, several types of position-sensitive photodetectors have been developed. 1,8 However, the cost of silicon technology scales strongly with the active area of the device, making large-area photosensors uncommon. 1,8 However, the cost of silicon technology scales strongly with the active area of the device, making large-area photosensors uncommon.…”