Operating optical detector with active semiconductor detector layer - impinging radiation to be detected on side face under Brewster angle

摘要

The semiconductor detector layer and its contact surfaces are so arranged that the charge carriers, generated by light impingement, propagate orthogonally to the extension direction of the active layer. The radiation to be detected impinges on the side face of the detector layer under a Brewster angle. Pref. the active detector layer with a specified refraction index is adjacent to at least one semiconductor layer whose material has a lower refraction index. Typically counter-doped semiconductor layers are located adjacent to the active detector layer on either side. The detector layer may be metallised to form a Schottky contact. ADVANTAGE - Simple input coupling of radiation into detector vol.