CHARGED CARRIER MULTIPLIER USING AVALANCHE PHENOMENON AND APPLICATION OF THE MULTIPLIER TO PHOTOSENSOR, PHOTOELECTRIC CATHODE AND INFRARED IMAGE DEVICE

摘要

Charge carrier multiplication device (CCMD) of a type operating by an avalanche phenomenon which comprises:… - a semiconducting material (1) of homogeneous composition, placed in an electric field (@f);… - plane and parallel layers (2-i) made in this material (1), perpendicular to the operational field (@f), which are thin in relation to the thickness of the material separating them and are n or p doped according to the said type of charge carrier. These layers form storage regions where charge carriers of the said type are confined. …The injection of at least one charge carrier (3) of the said type into the CCMD triggers the multiplication phenomenon by an ionising collision process; this charge carrier (3) is accelerated by the operational field (@f) and thus acquires an energy sufficient for being able to eject a charge carrier (4-2) of the said type from the doped layer (2-1); the charge carriers (4-1) and (4-2) obtained are guided by the operational field (@f). This ionising collision mechanism is reproduced progressively in the doped layers (2-i) and thus forms an avalanche multiplication phenomenon. …Application of this device to photodetectors, to photocathodes and to infrared imagers. ……