Methods and systems include constructing and operating a semiconductor device with a mid-band dopant layer. In various implementations, carriers that are optically excited in a mid-band dopant region may provide injection currents that may reduce transition times and increase achievable operating frequency in a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). In various implementations, carriers that are optically excited in a mid-band dopant region within a thyristor may improve closure transition time, effective current spreading velocity, and maximum rate of current rise.

The present invention relates to a water treatment system for removing at least some of ionic materials included in source water to provide soft water comprising less ionic materials than the source water to a demand source. The water treatment system may comprise: a filter module provided so as to remove at least some of ionic materials included in source water by means of an electrical force to discharge soft water; a supply channel provided so as to supply the source water to the filter module; a discharge channel provided so as to guide the soft water discharged from the filter module to a demand source; a circulation channel branched from the supply channel; a reclaim channel branched from the discharge channel; a connection channel branched from the reclaim channel and connected to the circulation channel; and a descaling part connected to the connection channel and provided so as to provide a descaling material for removing scale to the inside of the connection channel.

A dynamic photodiode detector or detector array having a light absorbing region of doped semiconductor material for absorbing photons. Electrons or holes generated by photon absorption are detected with a construction of oppositely heavily doped anode and cathode regions and a heavily doped ground region of the same doping type as the anode region. Photon detection involves switching the device from reverse bias to forward bias to create a depletion region enclosing the anode region. When a photon is then absorbed the electron or hole thereby generated drifts under the electric field induced by the biasing to the depletion region where it causes the anode-to-ground current to increase. Furthermore, the detector is configured such that anode-to-cathode current starts to flow once a threshold number of electrons or holes reaches the depletion region, where the threshold may be one to provide single photon detection.

A differential amplifier includes an unmatched pair, including first quantum dots and second quantum dots, and a matched pair, including first and second phototransistors. The unmatched pair has a difference between a first spectrum absorbed by the first quantum dots and a second spectrum absorbed by the second quantum dots. Each of the first and second phototransistors includes a channel. The first quantum dots absorb the first spectrum from incident electromagnetic radiation and gate a first current through the channel of the first phototransistor, and the second quantum dots absorb the second spectrum from the incident electromagnetic radiation and gate a second current through the channel of the second phototransistor. The first and second phototransistors are coupled together for generating a differential output from the first and second currents, the differential output corresponding to the difference between the first and second spectrums within the incident electromagnetic radiation.

A differential amplifier includes an unmatched pair, including first quantum dots and second quantum dots, and a matched pair, including first and second phototransistors. The unmatched pair has a difference between a first spectrum absorbed by the first quantum dots and a second spectrum absorbed by the second quantum dots. Each of the first and second phototransistors includes a channel. The first quantum dots absorb the first spectrum from incident electromagnetic radiation and gate a first current through the channel of the first phototransistor, and the second quantum dots absorb the second spectrum from the incident electromagnetic radiation and gate a second current through the channel of the second phototransistor. The first and second phototransistors are coupled together for generating a differential output from the first and second currents, the differential output corresponding to the difference between the first and second spectrums within the incident electromagnetic radiation.

A CMOS image sensor includes: a substrate containing a potential well stack including: a first p-well, a first n-well disposed below the first p-well, a second p-well disposed below the first n-well, a second n-well disposed below the second p-well, and a third p-well disposed below the second n-well, wherein a first photodiode is formed at the junction between the first p-well and first n-well, a second photodiode is formed at the junction between the first n-well and second p-well, a third photodiode is formed at the junction between the second p-well and the second n-well, and a fourth photodiode is formed at the junction between the second n-well and the third p-well, and each photodiode is disposed at a different respective depth within the substrate; and a plurality of active pixel sensors for converting light received by the photodiodes into electrical charge.

A CMOS image sensor includes: a substrate containing a potential well stack including: a first p-well, a first n-well disposed below the first p-well, a second p-well disposed below the first n-well, a second n-well disposed below the second p-well, and a third p-well disposed below the second n-well, wherein a first photodiode is formed at the junction between the first p-well and first n-well, a second photodiode is formed at the junction between the first n-well and second p-well, a third photodiode is formed at the junction between the second p-well and the second n-well, and a fourth photodiode is formed at the junction between the second n-well and the third p-well, and each photodiode is disposed at a different respective depth within the substrate; and a plurality of active pixel sensors for converting light received by the photodiodes into electrical charge.

The present disclosure relates to a photodetector device. The photodetector device includes a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor material. An absorption region is disposed within the semiconductor substrate. The absorption region includes an epitaxial material that is different than the semiconductor material. A multiplication region is disposed within the semiconductor substrate and separated from the absorption region. A channel region is disposed between the multiplication region and the absorption region, where the channel region and the multiplication region meet at a p-n junction.

Techniques for increasing sensitivity of photodetectors are provided. The techniques utilize a photodetector including a top layer and/or a bottom layer comprising a central region and a side region. The central region(s) and the side region(s) are coupled to contacts that each receive and apply a respective voltage to adjust the sensitivity of the photodetector.

An active pixel sensor control circuit for a CMOS image sensor includes: a first control circuit including a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, a source follower and a select transistor, wherein the reset transistor and the source follower are coupled to a first power supply signal; and a second type control circuit including a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, a source follower and a select transistor, wherein the source follower is coupled to the first power supply signal and the reset transistor is coupled to a second power supply signal. When a transfer signal is applied to the gates of the transfer transistors and a reset signal is applied to the gates of the reset transistors, a second photodiode and a fourth photodiode are charged to the first power supply level, and a first photodiode and a third photodiode are discharged to the second power supply level.