A diode (11) is provided on a substrate (1) and thermally insulated from the substrate (1). A positive feedback circuit (18) provides a positive feedback loop so that when a current of the diode (11) decreases due to a change in temperature of the diode (11), the positive feedback circuit (18) further decreases the current of the diode (11), and when the current of the diode (11) increases, the positive feedback circuit (18) further increases the current of the diode (11).

An optical sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductive type. The optical sensor further includes a photodiode disposed on the semiconductor substrate and a metal layer. The photodiode includes a first semiconductor layer having the first conductive type and a second semiconductor layer, formed on the first semiconductor layer, including a plurality of cathodes having a second conductive type. The first semiconductor layer is configured to collect photocurrent upon reception of incident light. The cathodes are configured to be electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer is configured to, based on the collected photocurrent, to track the incident light. The metal layer further includes a pinhole configured to collimate the incident light, and the plurality of cathodes form a rotational symmetry of order n with respect to an axis of the pinhole.

In an illuminance sensor, a slow axis of a first quarter-wave plate has a relation of +45° or −45° in regard to a polarization direction of a first linear polarization plate; a relation of a slow axis of a first portion of a second quarter-wave plate in regard to a polarization direction of a second linear polarization plate is the same with relation of the slow axis of the first quarter-wave plate in regard to the polarization direction of the first linear polarization plate, that is, +45° or −45°; and a relation of a slow axis of a second portion of the second quarter plate in regard to the polarization direction of the second linear polarization plate is −45° or +45° that is opposite in sign to the relation of the slow axis of the first quarter-plate in regard to the polarization direction of the first linear polarization plate.

A vehicle window with an anisotropic light sensor, has a first glass layer and a second glass layer, wherein an arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged, substantially parallel to the first glass layer, between the first glass layer and the second glass layer, wherein the pane furthermore has an aperture such that light can shine through the second glass layer and the aperture onto at least one of the light-sensitive elements, wherein, depending on the direction of incident light, the sensor provides a signal that is indicative of the direction, wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements has a camera chip and wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged on a flexible film.

A photoelectric conversion element for detecting the spot size of incident light. The photoelectric conversion element includes a photoelectric conversion substrate having two principal surfaces, and comprises a first sensitive part and a second sensitive part that have mutually different photoelectric conversion characteristics. When a sensitive region appearing in the principal surface of the first sensitive part is defined as a first sensitive region, and a sensitive region appearing in the principal surface of the second sensitive part is defined as a second sensitive region, the first sensitive region is configured to receive at least a portion of light incident on a light-receiving surface and to decrease, proportionally to enlargement in an irradiation region of the principal surface irradiated with the incident light, the ratio of the first sensitive region to the second sensitive region in the irradiation region.

A photoelectric conversion element for detecting the spot size of incident light, including a photoelectric conversion substrate provided with two main surfaces, and multiple first sensitivity sections and second sensitivity sections arranged in a prescribed direction. When sensitivity regions on the respective main surfaces of the multiple first sensitivity sections are defined as first sensitivity regions, and sensitivity regions that appear on the main surfaces of the second sensitivity sections are defined as second sensitivity regions, each of the first sensitivity regions receives at least a part of light incident on the main surfaces, and has a pattern in which, in accordance with enlargement of an irradiation region irradiated with incident light on the main surface, the proportion of the first sensitivity regions in the irradiation region with respect to the first sensitivity regions other than those in the irradiation region and the second sensitivity regions is decreased.

An assembly for optical to electrical power conversion including a photodiode assembly having a substrate layer and an internal side, an antireflective layer, a heterojunction buffer layer adjacent the internal side; an active area positioned adjacent the heterojunction buffer layer, a plurality of n+ electrode regions and p+ electrode regions positioned adjacent the active area, and back-contacts configured to align with the n+ and p+ electrode regions. The active area converts photons from incoming light into liberated electron hole pairs. The heterojunction buffer layer prevents electrons and holes of the liberated electron hole pairs from moving toward the substrate layer. The plurality of electrode regions are configured in an alternating pattern with gaps between each n+ and p+ electrode region. The electrode regions receive and generate electrical current from migration of the electrons and the holes, provide electrical pathways for the electrical current, and provide thermal pathways to dissipate heat.

Aspects of the embodiments are directed to non-contact systems, methods and devices for optical detection of objects in space at precise angles. This method involves the design and fabrication of photodiode arrays for measuring angular response using self-aligned Schottky platinum silicide (PtSi) PIN photodiodes (PN-diodes with an intrinsic layer sandwiched in between) that provide linear angular measurements from incident light in multiple dimensions. A self-aligned device is defined as one in which is not sensitive to photomask layer registrations. This design eliminates device offset between “left” and right” channels for normal incident light as compared to more conventional PIN diode constructions.

A position-sensitive photodetector device includes a grid of series-connected photodetectors that are electrically coupled to either a vertical photodetector array (VA photodetectors) or to a horizontal photodetector array (HA photodetectors). The VA and HA photodetectors are arranged in an alternating sequence along rows and/or columns throughout the grid. A horizontal-position readout line is electrically coupled to a termination of each vertical photodetector array, and a vertical-position readout line is electrically coupled to a termination of each horizontal photodetector array.

A photo detector can include: a light emitting device configured to emit light; a driving circuit configured to drive the light emitting device; a photo-electric conversion circuit configured to generate an optical current signal according to an optical signal; an isolation circuit configured to transmit the optical current signal in an isolated manner; an ambient light filter configured to filter a current component of the optical current signal corresponding to an ambient light, and to generate a clean optical current signal; a current amplification circuit configured to amplify the clean optical current signal, and to generate an amplified optical current signal; (vii) an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the amplified optical current signal to a digital signal; and a control circuit configured to output an optical detection signal according to the digital signal.