An optical sensing apparatus is provided. The optical sensing apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate composed of a first material; a transmitter-receiver set supported by the semiconductor substrate and including: (1) a photodetector includes an absorption region composed of a second material including germanium and configured to receive an optical signal and to generate photo-carriers in response to the optical signal; and (2) a light source including a light-emitting region composed of a third material including germanium and configured to emit a light toward a target; wherein the absorption region includes at least a property different from a property of the light-emitting region, wherein the property includes strain, conductivity type, peak doping concentration, or a ratio of the peak doping concentration to a peak doping concentration of the semiconductor substrate; wherein the first material is different from the second material and the third material.

A CCD comprises: a primary device configured to capture visible light and comprising: a first layer comprising a first semiconductor material; and a second layer comprising a second semiconductor material; and a secondary device configured to capture near-IR light and comprising: a third layer comprising a third semiconductor material and positioned such that the second layer is between the first layer and the third layer; and a fourth layer comprising a fourth semiconductor material and positioned such that the third layer is between the second layer and the fourth layer.

Provided are an image sensor with one or more image receivers for image switching, and an imaging system and method therefor. The image sensor includes an image sensor array to generate first image data for a first image; a receiver to receive, into the image sensor, second image data for a second image; an image selection circuit coupled to the image sensor array and the receiver to receive the first image data and the second image data and select one of the first image data and the second image data according to one or more image selection criteria and at least one of the first image data and the second image data; and a transmitter coupled to the image selection circuit to transmit the selected one of the first image data and the second image data from the image sensor.

The present disclosure provides techniques for improving the rate and efficiency of charge transfer within an integrated circuit configured to receive incident photons. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits that are configured to induce one or more intrinsic electric fields that increase the rate and efficiency of charge transfer within the integrated circuits. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to integrated circuits configured to induce a charge carrier depletion in the photodetection region(s) of the integrated circuits. In some embodiments, the charge carrier depletion in the photodetection region(s) may be intrinsic, in that the depletion is induced even in the absence of external electric fields applied to the integrated circuit. Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to processes for operating and/or manufacturing integrated devices as described herein.

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device is provided. The OLED display device includes a display panel and a camera. A first alignment mark is formed on a low pixel density area of the display panel, a second alignment mark is formed in the camera, and arrangements of the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark are consistent. Therefore, an alignment accuracy between the camera and the display panel is improved, and a purpose of adopting a blind hole in the area where the camera is mounted on the display device and displaying normally is achieved.

An image sensor is fabricated by first heavily p-type doping the thin top monocrystalline silicon substrate of an SOI wafer, then forming a relatively lightly p-doped epitaxial layer on a top surface of the top silicon substrate, where p-type doping levels during these two processes are controlled to produce a p-type dopant concentration gradient in the top silicon substrate. Sensing (circuit) elements and associated metal interconnects are fabricated on the epitaxial layer, then the handling substrate and oxide layer of the SOI wafer are at least partially removed to expose a lower surface of either the top silicon substrate or the epitaxial layer, and then a pure boron layer is formed on the exposed lower surface. The p-type dopant concentration gradient monotonically decreases from a maximum level near the top-silicon/epitaxial-layer interface to a minimum concentration level at the epitaxial layer's upper surface.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device, a manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus, which can obtain high charge transfer efficiency from a photoelectric conversion unit to a floating diffusion layer. The floating diffusion layer is arranged in a rectangular shape so as to surround a gate electrode of a vertical transistor whose groove portion is rectangular. A reset drain is formed so as to be adjacent to the floating diffusion layer through a reset gate. A potential of the floating diffusion layer is reset to the same potential as that of the reset drain by applying a predetermined voltage to the reset gate. It is possible to apply the present disclosure to, for example, a CMOS solid-state image pickup device used in an image pickup device such as a camera.

A first region includes a plurality of first transfer column regions distributed in a first direction. A second region includes a plurality of second transfer column regions distributed in the first direction. The second region is positioned downstream of the first region in a charge transfer direction in the second transfer section. Lengths in a second direction of the plurality of first transfer column regions are equal. Lengths in the second direction of the plurality of second transfer column regions are longer than the length of the first transfer column region, and increase as the second transfer column region is positioned downstream in the charge transfer direction. A third region is disposed to correspond to the first region and extends along the first direction. A fourth region is disposed to correspond to the second region and extends such that an interval between the fourth region and a pixel region in the second direction increases in the charge transfer direction in response to a change in the lengths of the plurality of second transfer column regions.

A first region includes first transfer column regions distributed in a first direction. A second region includes second transfer column regions distributed in the first direction. The second region is positioned downstream of the first region in a charge transfer direction. Lengths in a second direction of the first transfer column regions are equal. Lengths in the second direction of the second transfer column regions are longer than the length of the first transfer column region, and increase as the second transfer column region is positioned downstream in the charge transfer direction. A third region is disposed to correspond to the first region and extends along the first direction. A fourth region is disposed to correspond to the second region and extends such that an interval between the fourth region and a pixel region increases in response to a change in the lengths of the second transfer column regions.

A photocathode is formed on a monocrystalline silicon substrate having opposing illuminated (top) and output (bottom) surfaces. To prevent oxidation of the silicon, a thin (e.g., 1-5 nm) boron layer is disposed directly on the output surface using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects. An optional second boron layer is formed on the illuminated (top) surface, and an optional anti-reflective material layer is formed on the second boron layer to enhance entry of photons into the silicon substrate. An optional external potential is generated between the opposing illuminated (top) and output (bottom) surfaces. The photocathode forms part of novel electron-bombarded charge-coupled device (EBCCD) sensors and inspection systems.