TRANSDUCER TO CONVERT OPTICAL ENERGY TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

摘要

A transducer to convert optical energy to electrical energy. The transducer or photo-transducer has a base layer which has a group of connecting elements formed therein at separations which are increasing with the distance away from an emitter layer formed atop the base layer. The connecting elements separate and electrically connect the base layer into base segments, the base segments having increasing thicknesses with the distance away from the emitter layer. The photo-transducer generates an output voltage that is greater than the input light photovoltage. The photo-transducer output voltage is proportional to the number of connecting elements formed in the base layer.

主权项

1. A transducer to convert optical energy to electrical energy, the transducer comprising:
a semiconductor emitter layer, the semiconductor emitter being one of n-doped and p-doped; semiconductor base layers, the semiconductor base layers being p-doped when the semiconductor emitter layer is n-doped, the semiconductor base layers being n-doped when the semiconductor emitter layer is p-doped, the semiconductor emitter layer and the semiconductor base layers each having a same bandgap energy, one of the semiconductor base layers adjoining the semiconductor emitter layer to form a p-n junction having associated thereto a first electric potential; and at least one connecting element formed between adjacent semiconductor base layers to electrically connect the adjacent semiconductor base layers to each other, each connecting element being configured to generate a respective additional electric potential between the adjacent semiconductor base layers, each respective additional electric potential being equal to the first electric potential, the transducer having an overall electric potential that is equal to the sum of the first electric potential and of each respective additional electric potential, the transducer to receive light that propagates through, and is partially absorbed in, the semiconductor emitter layer and then sequentially propagates through, and is partially absorbed in, each of the semiconductor base layers, each semiconductor base layer having a thickness designed to absorb a same number of photons.