A photoelectric conversion element encompasses a depletion-layer extension-promotion region having a p-type upper layer, a p-type photoelectric conversion layer in contact with the depletion-layer extension-promotion region, and an n-type surface-buried region buried in an upper portion of the photoelectric conversion layer, configured to implement a photodiode together with the photoelectric conversion layer. A first p-well is surrounded by a first n-tab, the first n-tab is surrounded by a second p-well, the second p-well is surrounded by a second n-tab, and the second n-tab is surrounded by a third p-well. An injection-blocking element blocks injection of carriers of opposite conductivity type to signal charges from the second p-well into the photoelectric conversion layer, and the inside of the photoelectric conversion layer is depleted by a voltage applied to the depletion-layer extension-promotion region.

A display device including a pixel circuit, an insulation layer covering the pixel circuit, an etching prevention layer disposed on the insulation layer, a first guide layer, a second guide layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light emitting element. The first guide layer and the second guide layer may be disposed on the etching prevention layer and spaced apart from each other. The first electrode may be disposed on the first guide layer and electrically connected to the pixel circuit. The second electrode may be disposed on the first guide layer and insulated from the first electrode. The light emitting element may be in contact with the top surface of the etching prevention layer, disposed between the first guide layer and the second guide layer on a plane, and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

An optical apparatus includes: a substrate having a first material; an absorption region having a second material different from the first material, the absorption region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers including electrons and holes in response to the absorbed photons; a first well region surrounding the absorption region and arranged between the absorption region and the substrate, the first well region being doped with a first polarity; and one or more switches each controlled by a respective control signal, the one or more switches each configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the respective control signal and to provide the portion of the photo-carriers to a respective readout circuit.

A single photon avalanche diode may include a substrate and a plurality of junction structures supported by the substrate. The substrate may have an upper surface and a lower surface that are opposite to each other. The junction structures may support by the substrate to make contact with the upper surface of the substrate. The junction structures may include portions that overlap with each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to the substrate. Each of the junction structures may include a first impurity region having a first conductive type and disposed to make contact with the upper surface of the substrate, and a second impurity region having a second conductive type and disposed to make contact with the upper surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the first impurity region. The first impurity region and the second impurity region in each of the junction structures may be configured to receive a bias voltage through the upper surface of the substrate.

An optical cavity device has two spaced-apart multiple quantum well (MQW) regions, a central electrode terminal and two marginal electrode terminals. The central electrode terminal contacts a central electrode layer between the MQW regions, and each marginal electrode terminal contacts a separate marginal electrode layer on the other side of each MQW region. There are also two mirrors outside of the MQW regions, forming the cavity. The device has a less-absorptive state and a more-absorptive state selected by varying the voltage between the anode and at least one of the two cathodes. The two marginal electrode terminals may be electrically connected, or the voltage between the central electrode terminal and the marginal electrode terminals may be varied independently. These devices may form an array of detectors, modulators or both. In an array, multiple devices may share a common electrode layer. Devices may be stacked, with two or more anode terminals and two more cathode terminals alternating in the stack. Three or more MQW regions are then formed with either an anode layer or a cathode layer between each MQW region.

Methods, apparatus, and processor-readable storage media for automatically limiting power consumption by devices using infrared or radio communications are provided herein. An example computer-implemented method includes detecting, via at least one photodiode of an emitting sensor, one or more signals output by a user device within a predetermined proximity; automatically transitioning, via utilizing at least one transistor connected to the photodiode, and in response to detecting the one or more signals, the emitting sensor from a first power-consumption state to a second power-consumption state; transmitting one or more signals in response to transitioning from the first power-consumption state to the second power-consumption state; and subsequent to transmitting, automatically transitioning, via utilizing the at least one transistor, the emitting sensor from the second power-consumption state to the first power-consumption state after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed during which no signals were detected.

A light-emitting component includes a light-emitting element, a driving thyristor, and a light-absorbing layer. The light-emitting element emits light of a predetermined wavelength. The driving thyristor causes the light-emitting element to emit light or causes an amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element to increase, upon entering an on-state. The light-absorbing layer is disposed between the light-emitting element and the driving thyristor such that the light-emitting element and the driving thyristor are stacked, and absorbs light emitted by the driving thyristor.

A photoelectric conversion element encompasses a depletion-layer extension-promotion region having a p-type upper layer, a p-type photoelectric conversion layer in contact with the depletion-layer extension-promotion region, and an n-type surface-buried region buried in an upper portion of the photoelectric conversion layer, configured to implement a photodiode together with the photoelectric conversion layer. A first p-well is surrounded by a first n-tab, the first n-tab is surrounded by a second p-well, the second p-well is surrounded by a second n-tab, and the second n-tab is surrounded by a third p-well. An injection-blocking element blocks injection of carriers of opposite conductivity type to signal charges from the second p-well into the photoelectric conversion layer, and the inside of the photoelectric conversion layer is depleted by a voltage applied to the depletion-layer extension-promotion region.

A photoelectric conversion element encompasses a depletion-layer extension-promotion region having a p-type upper layer, a p-type photoelectric conversion layer in contact with the depletion-layer extension-promotion region, and an n-type surface-buried region buried in an upper portion of the photoelectric conversion layer, configured to implement a photodiode together with the photoelectric conversion layer. A first p-well is surrounded by a first n-tab, the first n-tab is surrounded by a second p-well, the second p-well is surrounded by a second n-tab, and the second n-tab is surrounded by a third p-well. An injection-blocking element blocks injection of carriers of opposite conductivity type to signal charges from the second p-well into the photoelectric conversion layer, and the inside of the photoelectric conversion layer is depleted by a voltage applied to the depletion-layer extension-promotion region.

An optical apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; a first light absorption region supported by the semiconductor substrate, the first light absorption region including germanium and configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; a first layer supported by at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate and the first light absorption region, the first layer being different from the first light absorption region; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal.