A photodetector having a small form factor and having high detection efficiency with respect to both visible light and infrared rays may include a first electrode, a collector layer on the first electrode, a tunnel barrier layer on the collector layer, a graphene layer on the tunnel barrier layer, an emitter layer on the graphene layer, and a second electrode on the emitter layer. The photodetector may be included in an image sensor. An image sensor may include a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate, and a plurality of photodetectors on the insulating layer. The photodetectors may be aligned with each other in a direction extending parallel or perpendicular to a top surface of the insulating layer. The photodetector may be included in a LiDAR system.

In described examples, an integrated circuit includes a leadframe structure, which includes electrical conductors. A first coil structure is electrically connected to a first pair of the electrical conductors of the leadframe structure. The first coil structure is partially formed on a semiconductor die structure. A second coil structure is electrically connected to a second pair of the electrical conductors of the leadframe structure. The second coil structure is partially formed on the semiconductor die structure. A molded package structure encloses portions of the leadframe structure. The molded package structure exposes portions of the first and second pairs of the electrical conductors to allow external connection to the first and second coil structures. The molded package structure includes a cavity to magnetically couple portions of the first and second coil structures.

A phototransistor includes an emitter, a collector, and a base between the emitter and the collector. The base has a thickness greater than 500 nanometers and the base absorbs photons passing through the collector to the base.

Disclosed is an active photonic device having a Darlington configuration with a substrate and a collector layer that is over the substrate. The collector layer includes an inner collector region. An outer collector region substantially surrounds the inner collector region and is spaced apart from the inner collector region. A base layer is over the collector layer. A first outer base region and a second outer base region substantially surround the inner base region and are spaced apart from the inner base region and each other. An emitter layer is over the base layer. The emitter layer includes an inner emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around an outer periphery of the inner base region. A first outer emitter region and a second outer emitter region substantially surround the inner emitter region and are spaced apart from the inner emitter region and each other.

Certain embodiments of the present invention may be directed to a transistor structure. The transistor structure may include a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may include a drift region, a collector region, an emitter region, and a lightly-doped/undoped region. The lightly-doped/undoped region may be lightly-doped and/or undoped. The transistor structure may also include a heterostructure. The heterostructure forms a heterojunction with the lightly-doped/undoped region. The transistor structure may also include a collector terminal. The collector terminal is in contact with the collector region. The transistor structure may also include a gate terminal. The gate terminal is in contact with the heterostructure. The transistor structure may also include an emitter terminal. The emitter terminal is in contact with the lightly-doped/undoped region and the emitter region.

Certain embodiments of the present invention may be directed to a transistor structure. The transistor structure may include a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may include a drift region, a collector region, an emitter region, and a lightly-doped/undoped region. The lightly-doped/undoped region may be lightly-doped and/or undoped. The transistor structure may also include a heterostructure. The heterostructure forms a heterojunction with the lightly-doped/undoped region. The transistor structure may also include a collector terminal. The collector terminal is in contact with the collector region. The transistor structure may also include a gate terminal. The gate terminal is in contact with the heterostructure. The transistor structure may also include an emitter terminal. The emitter terminal is in contact with the lightly-doped/undoped region and the emitter region.

A transmission circuit includes a photocoupler, a conductive/non-conductive state of which is controlled in accordance with data to be transmitted to a communication device. A reception circuit includes a photocoupler, a conductive/non-conductive state of which is controlled in accordance with the conductive/non-conductive state of the transmission path. A transmission circuit includes a photocoupler, a conductive/non-conductive state of which is controlled in accordance with data to be transmitted to a communication device. A reception circuit includes a photocoupler, a conductive/non-conductive state of which is controlled in accordance with the conductive/non-conductive state of the transmission path. The photocoupler is included in the transmission path. The photocoupler and the photocoupler are in opposite conductive/non-conductive states.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser for use in an optical module for measuring distances and/or movements, using the self-mixing effect. The semiconductor laser comprises a layer structure including an active region (3) embedded between two layer sequences (1, 2) and further comprises a photodetector arranged to measure an intensity of an optical field resonating in said laser. The photodetector is a phototransistor composed of an emitter layer (e), a collector layer (c) and a base layer (b), each of which being a bulk layer and forming part of one of said layer sequences (1, 2). With the proposed semiconductor laser an optical module based on this laser can be manufactured more easily, at lower costs and in a smaller size than known modules.

A photodetector comprising a photoabsorber, comprising a doped semiconductor, a contact layer comprising a doped semiconductor and a barrier layer comprising a charge carrier compensated semiconductor, the barrier layer compensated by doping impurities such that it exhibits a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the photo absorbing layer and a conduction band energy level exhibiting a significant band gap in relation to the conduction band of the photo absorbing layer, the barrier layer disposed between the photoabsorber and contact layers. The relationship between the photo absorbing layer and contact layer valence and conduction band energies and the barrier layer conduction and valance band energies is selected to facilitate minority carrier current flow while inhibiting majority carrier current flow between the contact and photo absorbing layers.

This invention relates to field photodiodes based on PN junctions that suffer from dark current leakage. An NBL is added to prove a second PN junction with the anode. The second PN junction is reversed biased in order to remove dark current leakage. The present solution requires no additional masks or thin films steps relative to a conventional CMOS process flow.