Methods and devices for detecting incident radiation are provided. The methods and devices use high quality single-crystals of photoactive semiconductor compounds in combination with metal anodes and metal cathodes that provide for enhanced photodetector performance.

Disclosed is a semiconductor device includes a substrate provided with a plurality of pixel electrodes and a control electrode, a functional layer provided over the plurality of pixel electrodes, a transparent electrode provided over the functional layer, an insulating layer provided so as to cover an upper surface and a side surface of a laminate including the functional layer and the transparent electrode and having a first opening reaching the transparent electrode, and a light-shielding conductive layer connected to the transparent electrode via the first opening and constituting at least a part of an electrical path connecting the transparent electrode and the control electrode.

An energy conversion device generates electrical power responsive to a flow of thermal power. An energy radiator is in thermal communication with the energy converter and includes an input side for receiving the flow from the energy converter and an output side that is tuned for selectively emitting at least a portion of the thermal flow in a bandwidth at which the atmosphere of Earth is substantially transparent and/or with a sufficiently small radiation angle such that the portion of the thermal flow can be radiated to outer space. In one system, the energy conversion device held at least near an ambient temperature. In another system, the energy conversion device is maintained below an ambient temperature.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor proximity sensor includes providing a flat leadframe with a first and a second surface. The second surface is solderable. The leadframe includes a first and a second pad, a plurality of leads, and fingers framing the first pad. The fingers are spaced from the first pad by a gap which is filled with a clear molding compound. A light-emitting diode (LED) chip is assembled on the first pad and encapsulated by a first volume of the clear compound. The first volume outlined as a first lens. A sensor chip is assembled on the second pad and encapsulated by a second volume of the clear compound. The second volume outlined as a second lens. Opaque molding compound fills the space between the first and second volumes of clear compound and forms walls rising from the frame of fingers to create an enclosed cavity for the LED. The pads, leads, and fingers connected to a board using a layer of solder for attaching the proximity sensor.

An illuminant has a short fluorescence lifetime, high transparency, and high light yield and a radiation detector uses the illuminant. The illuminant is appropriate for a radiation detector for detecting gamma-rays, X-rays, -rays, and neutron rays, and has high radiation resistance, a short fluorescence decay time and high emission intensity. The illuminant has a garnet structure using emission from the 4f5d level of Ce.sup.3+, and includes a garnet illuminant prepared by co-doping of at least one type of monovalent or divalent cation at a molar ratio of 7000 ppm or less with respect to all cations, to an illuminant having a garnet structure represented by general formula Ce.sub.xRE.sub.3xM.sub.5+yO.sub.12+3y/2 (where 0.0001x0.3, 0y0.5 or 0y0.5, M is one type or two or more types selected from Al, Lu, Ga, and Sc, and RE is one type or two or more types selected from La, Pr, Gd, Tb, Yb, Y, and Lu).

Solid-state radiation detectors utilizing a film as an alpha detection layer are provided. The detector can include a neutron conversion layer disposed thereon to enable neutron detection. The film can detect alpha particles from the ambient environment or emitted by the neutron conversion layer (if present) so the device can detect alpha particles and/or neutrons. The film can generate electron-hole pairs and can be disposed near a semiconductor material. The film can have a thickness of, for example, at least 100 nanometers.

A manufacturing method of a diode radiation sensor having a charge multiplication diode includes providing a substrate that is made of a semiconductor material and has a front surface and a rear surface; making, near the front surface, a first layer of a semiconductor material having a first type of doping; and making, deep in the substrate, a second layer of a semiconductor material having a second type of doping that is electrically opposite to the first type. The second layer is obtained by inserting into the substrate a first predetermined amount of a first type of dopant and a second predetermined amount of a second type of dopant.

A detector may be provided with an array of sensing elements. The detector may include a semiconductor substrate including the array, and a circuit configured to count a number of charged particles incident on the detector. The circuit of the detector may be configured to process outputs from the plurality of sensing elements and increment a counter in response to a charged particle arrival event on a sensing element of the array. Various counting modes may be used. Counting may be based on energy ranges. Numbers of charged particles may be counted at a certain energy range and an overflow flag may be set when overflow is encountered in a sensing element. The circuit may be configured to determine a time stamp of respective charged particle arrival events occurring at each sensing element. Size of the sensing element may be determined based on criteria for enabling charged particle counting.

This thin film is a thin film for detecting circularly polarized light, and includes a plurality of inorganic layers constituting a layered structure and/or a plurality of inorganic chains constituting a chain structure, which are formed of a perovskite type substance, and chiral molecules incorporated in at least a part of a boundary part between the adjacent inorganic layers and/or between the inorganic chains, wherein the chiral molecules include only one of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules or chiral molecules with a higher abundance proportion of one of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules than an abundance proportion of the other of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules, and wherein the crystal structure of the perovskite type substance is oriented in a predetermined direction.

This thin film is a thin film for detecting circularly polarized light, and includes a plurality of inorganic layers constituting a layered structure and/or a plurality of inorganic chains constituting a chain structure, which are formed of a perovskite type substance, and chiral molecules incorporated in at least a part of a boundary part between the adjacent inorganic layers and/or between the inorganic chains, wherein the chiral molecules include only one of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules or chiral molecules with a higher abundance proportion of one of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules than an abundance proportion of the other of S-form chiral molecules and R-form chiral molecules, and wherein the crystal structure of the perovskite type substance is oriented in a predetermined direction.