US3763476A - Method and apparatus for storing and reading out charge in an insulating layer - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for storing and reading out charge in an insulating layer Download PDF

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Publication number
US3763476A
US3763476A US00234786A US3763476DA US3763476A US 3763476 A US3763476 A US 3763476A US 00234786 A US00234786 A US 00234786A US 3763476D A US3763476D A US 3763476DA US 3763476 A US3763476 A US 3763476A
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United States
Prior art keywords
insulating layer
target
information
diode array
irradiating
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00234786A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Wilson
G Possin
G Ellis
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General Electric Co
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General Electric Co
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C11/00—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor
    • G11C11/21—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements
    • G11C11/23—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using electrostatic storage on a common layer, e.g. Forrester-Haeff tubes or William tubes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C13/00—Digital stores characterised by the use of storage elements not covered by groups G11C11/00, G11C23/00, or G11C25/00
    • G11C13/04—Digital stores characterised by the use of storage elements not covered by groups G11C11/00, G11C23/00, or G11C25/00 using optical elements ; using other beam accessed elements, e.g. electron or ion beam
    • G11C13/048—Digital stores characterised by the use of storage elements not covered by groups G11C11/00, G11C23/00, or G11C25/00 using optical elements ; using other beam accessed elements, e.g. electron or ion beam using other optical storage elements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J31/00—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes
    • H01J31/08—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes having a screen on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted, or stored
    • H01J31/26—Image pick-up tubes having an input of visible light and electric output
    • H01J31/28—Image pick-up tubes having an input of visible light and electric output with electron ray scanning the image screen
    • H01J31/283—Image pick-up tubes having an input of visible light and electric output with electron ray scanning the image screen with a target comprising semiconductor junctions
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S148/00—Metal treatment
    • Y10S148/026—Deposition thru hole in mask
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S148/00—Metal treatment
    • Y10S148/05—Etch and refill

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A diode storage array, including a diode array on one face of a semiconductor wafer, an insulating layer overlying the opposite face of said wafer and a conductive layer overlying the insulating layer, is written upon by irradiating the conductive layer side of said wafer to induce charge storage in the insulating layer.
  • the radiation may be high energy photons, a scanned electron beam or electrons from a photo-emltterfR'ad o'ut is'ac complished by irradiating the target with lower energy radiation to form electron-hole pairs in the wafer.
  • the holes are selectively driven to the diode side of the wafer under the control of the stored charge where selected, reverse biased, diodes are discharged. Subsequent scanning of the diode array by an electron beam produces a variable output signal, indicative of the information stored. Since the charge on the insulating layer is not dissipated, the information can be read as often as desired.
  • diode array storage targets 5 vention wherein information is stored as an electric and, in-particular, to a method for writing and reading charge in an insulating layer overlying one Surface 0f 3 with h targets, semiconductor wafer. Reading is accomplished by in- In the prior art, diode array targets are used f a ducing electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor and riety f f ti such as imaging devices and scan allowing the holes to diffuse through the wafer to the converters. In such applications attempts at providing opposite suffaceawhich Contains the p-n junction array.
  • the holes recombme the approximate time needed for scanning the entire electronsPrevlousl'y deposltefi by an electron beam to target once, have resulted in storage times on the reverse bias the diodes.
  • the charge is stored in the insulator it is not s ons of t p 6 he arget For example a msulatmg dissipated.
  • the information can be read as often e e cc 0 re uce rec argmg e o t e as desired or continuously.
  • the information stored can electron beam during readout, thereby retaining some be erased or chan ed as desired b suitabl irradiatin charge indicative of the information stored.
  • T FIGURE ill a di d array target system can compromise the operating characteristics of the i bl f use i h present invention g -g-.
  • Charge P the oxide layer during The FIGURE illustrates a preferred embodiment of non-storing operation.
  • Some diode array targets utilize the present invention wherein a diode array camera one or more protective layers to prevent charge buildtube target is modified by the application of charge up on the oxide. However, to provide storage capabilitiesstorage layers to the substrate on the opposite side of ity, these protective layers cannot be used. the diode array.
  • the information stored is destructively provides a unique cooperation between the charge read out in many of the systems of the prior art, i.e., the stored and diode array elements so as to provide a storcharge representing the information stored is utilized
  • Camera tube target that is x r m ly fle b e n 0pdirectly in the read operation and is partially or totally eratiofldissipated.
  • y target m comprises subtfate 11 not capable of carrying out the read and write functions Pnsmg an yp Semlconductor material Onto which simultaneously p-type conductivity regions 12 are grown through a
  • Pnsmg an yp Semlconductor material Onto which simultaneously p-type conductivity regions 12 are grown through a
  • a method of writ plurality of apertures in apertured insulating layer 13 ing and reading in diode array targets that provides collpled to Substrate is long term, i.e., virtually indefinite, erasable storage across Much the vldfao outpu ⁇ Slgna] while also providing non-destructive readout, simultatamed1connected Feslstor 20 a l of neous read and write capability, and read times compa potential 19 for suitably biasing the target relative to thode l7. rable to non-storing targets.
  • the face of substrate 11 opposite the face in which A further ob ect of the present invention lS.tO provide Hype conductivity regions 12 are formed is covered long Storage and rapld readout of dlode array by insulating layer 14, which may conveniently commemol'les- 6o prise an oxide of substrate 1]..
  • Layer M in turn is cov- Another object of the P invention is to Provide ered by a transparent conductive layer 15.
  • Layer 15 is a writing and reading method for diode array Storage connected to sources of operating potential 24 and 25 targets in which the information stored is not directly b way of potentiometer 16, fo l sources of utilized in reading.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a mm n oint comprising the junction of potential a writing and reading method for diode array storage source 19 and output resistor 20.
  • Cathode 21 is biased targets in which the electrical effect of charge reprerealtive to the target by way of bias means 23 which is senting stored information is utilized for reading.
  • a source of light 26 producing photon energy illustrated by rays 27.
  • the overall operation of the present invention shall be described in three parts. The first relating to the diode array, left-hand portion of the target illustrated in the FIGURE, the second relating to the operation of V the right-hand portion of the target as illustrated in the FIGURE, and finally the cooperation of these two sections together.
  • the operation of a diode array target is relatively well known and may be summarized as follows:
  • the diode array is scanned by electrons 18 eminating from cathode 17.
  • This scan negatively charges p-type conductivity regions 12 relative to substrate 11.
  • Input information generally an optical image, applied to the opposite face of the substrate 11 forms a pattern of electron hole pairs, the holes of which diffuse to the diodes and discharge the diodes in proportion to the intensity of the light absorbed in that area of the substrate.
  • the electron beam rescans the diode side of the substrate, the current necessary to recharge the p-type conductivity regions is proportional to the amount by which the p-type conductivity regions were discharged.
  • This current flows in a circuit comprising cathode 17, electron beam 18, target and output resistor 20.
  • the current flowing through output resistor 20 provides a video signal corresponding to the pattern of light incident upon the substrate. It may be noted that the operation of this type of target requires the continuous application of input information on the opposite face of the substrate. The storage time of the diode portion of the target is dependent upon the time it takes the dark current to completely discharge the diodes.
  • the right-hand side of target 10 as illustrated in the FIGURE operates to store charge in proportion to input information in insulating layer 14 for relatively long periods of time, e.g., several tens of hours.
  • the storage of charge in insulator 14 is not permanent, i.e., the information can be readily erased.
  • the charge in insulating layer 14 can be created by a variety of means, such as a scanned electron beam, electrons from a photoemitter, or high energy photons.
  • a scanned electron beam electrons from a photoemitter
  • high energy photons it will be assumed that the pattern of charge is to be obtained from an electron beam.
  • Electron beam 22 emanating from cathode 21 is directed so as to write the information in a predetermined pattern as charge in insulating layer 14. This is accomplished by utilizing a high energy electron beam, for example, 10 kilovolts. During the writing operation, transparent conductive layer is biased positively with respect to n-type conductivity substrate 11. In so doing, mobile electrons induced in insulating layer 14 by electron beam 22 are drawn off through transparent conductive layer 15. Electron beam 22 is then terminated and a pattern of positive charges 30 is stored in insulating layer 14.
  • a high energy electron beam for example, 10 kilovolts.
  • the charge stored in insulating layer 14 can be removed in the same way it was created, except that transparent conductive layer 15 is biased negatively or not at all with respect to substrate 11. Thus, the changeover from one mode of operation to another is very simply and easily accomplished. After all or part of the information is erased, a subsequent writing operation is performed to store new information in the erased areas.
  • the pattern of positive charges 30 is retained by insulating layer 14 for a relatively long time.
  • the charge stored in insulating layer 14 is not used directly in the read out of the pattern of charged storage. Further, it should be noted that the writing operation and the reading operation are independent so that no restriction is placed on the operation of either half of target 10.
  • the storage face of target 10 is illuminated by light from source 26. Since the energy contained in a photon is proportional to the frequency (v) of the photon it is preferable to illuminate the target with light of frequency in the range of visible light so that the positive charge pattern 30 is not changed during the reading operation, regardless of the setting of potentiometer 16.
  • the incident photons penetrate into n-type conductivity substrate 11 thereby forming electron-hole pairs. Due to the storage of positive charge, the holes of the electron-hole pairs are repelled away from the storage side of target 10 to the diode side of target 10 where they discharge those diodes approximately opposite the location of the stored positive charge. In the absence of stored charge the electron-hole pairs diffuse t0 the interface between substrate 11 and insulator 14 where they recombine and are lost. For a silicon wafer, blue light is preferred so that the holes are created near the storage layer thereby increasing the modulation efficiency of the stored charge pattern. Thus, the pattern of charge storage is transferred from the right-hand side of target 10 as illustrated in the FIGURE to the left-hand side of target 10. Readout of the diode array is then accomplished as described above, wherein the diodes are scanned by an electron beam and the amount of charge necessary to restore the charged condition is monitored across output resistor 20.
  • the readout and charge storage operations are completely independent since the stored charge is only used indirectly in discharging the diodes.
  • This enables what may be generally described as special effects to be performed with the stored information.
  • the storage of information and the scanning by electron beam 18 can occur at different rates.
  • the pattern of scanning need not be the same for both the storage of information and the reading of information.
  • apparent motion can be obtained in an image by modifying the location of the starting point of the scan by electron beam 18.
  • Target 10 can be fabricated in any suitable fashion, as, for example, set forth in the above-noted application of William E. Engeler, with the addition of layers 14 and 115.
  • Substrate 11 can be a silicon wafer on the order of p. thick and the apertures through which ptype conductivity regions 12 are grown can be on the order of 8 p. in diameter.
  • Insulating layer 14, which may comprise several layers of insulating material, can be on the order of 5,000A. thick, necessitating a write/erase beam in excess of about SkV.
  • the intensity of the illumination from blue light source 26 can be on the order of (10) watts per square cm.
  • the bias voltage on transparent conductive layer 15 can be fiO volts. It is to be understood that the foregoing values are exemplary only and not limiting.
  • p-type conductivity regions 12 need not be epitaxially grown but may be formed simply as diffused regions.
  • the source of bias potential for transparent conductive layer need not be as shown but may employ other, more elaborate sources, such as pulses for selecting write, neutral and erase in synchronism with the deflection of beam 22.
  • any suitable deflecting means may be employed.
  • An information storage target comprising:
  • a substrate of a first type conductivity semiconductor having first and second opposite sides;
  • a conductive layer overlying said insulating layer, for
  • step of selectively irradiating comprises:
  • An information storage system comprising a semiconductor diode array target comprising a planar semiconductor substrate having a diode array on one side and an insulating layer covering the opposite side;
  • bias means coupled to said transparent, conductive layer and said substrate for biasing said conductive layer relative to said substrate.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Image-Pickup Tubes, Image-Amplification Tubes, And Storage Tubes (AREA)
  • Solid State Image Pick-Up Elements (AREA)
US00234786A 1972-03-15 1972-03-15 Method and apparatus for storing and reading out charge in an insulating layer Expired - Lifetime US3763476A (en)

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Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3939454A (en) * 1973-08-03 1976-02-17 Fujitsu Limited Gas discharge panel information read-out system
US4068218A (en) * 1976-10-04 1978-01-10 Micro-Bit Corporation Method and apparatus for deep depletion read-out of MOS electron beam addressable memories
US4079358A (en) * 1976-10-04 1978-03-14 Micro-Bit Corporation Buried junction MOS memory capacitor target for electron beam addressable memory and method of using same
US4099261A (en) * 1977-02-22 1978-07-04 General Electric Company Method for writing on archival memory target by ion damage
US4233671A (en) * 1979-01-05 1980-11-11 Stanford University Read only memory and integrated circuit and method of programming by laser means
EP0038865A1 (en) * 1980-04-25 1981-11-04 Alton Owen Christensen Electron beam storage apparatus
US4652926A (en) * 1984-04-23 1987-03-24 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Solid state imaging technique

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3803085A (en) * 1972-12-29 1974-04-09 Gen Electric Method for making polyetherimides
GB1463298A (en) * 1972-12-29 1977-02-02 Gen Electric Method for making polyetherimide and products produced thereby
JPS5475791A (en) * 1977-11-29 1979-06-16 Tech Res & Dev Inst Of Japan Def Agency Hydraulic actuator unit

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3440476A (en) * 1967-06-12 1969-04-22 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electron beam storage device employing hole multiplication and diffusion
US3576392A (en) * 1968-06-26 1971-04-27 Rca Corp Semiconductor vidicon target having electronically alterable light response characteristics
US3668473A (en) * 1969-06-24 1972-06-06 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Photosensitive semi-conductor device
US3676715A (en) * 1970-06-26 1972-07-11 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Semiconductor apparatus for image sensing and dynamic storage
US3701979A (en) * 1970-01-09 1972-10-31 Micro Bit Corp Slow write-fast read memory method and system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3440476A (en) * 1967-06-12 1969-04-22 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electron beam storage device employing hole multiplication and diffusion
US3576392A (en) * 1968-06-26 1971-04-27 Rca Corp Semiconductor vidicon target having electronically alterable light response characteristics
US3668473A (en) * 1969-06-24 1972-06-06 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Photosensitive semi-conductor device
US3701979A (en) * 1970-01-09 1972-10-31 Micro Bit Corp Slow write-fast read memory method and system
US3676715A (en) * 1970-06-26 1972-07-11 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Semiconductor apparatus for image sensing and dynamic storage

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3939454A (en) * 1973-08-03 1976-02-17 Fujitsu Limited Gas discharge panel information read-out system
US4068218A (en) * 1976-10-04 1978-01-10 Micro-Bit Corporation Method and apparatus for deep depletion read-out of MOS electron beam addressable memories
US4079358A (en) * 1976-10-04 1978-03-14 Micro-Bit Corporation Buried junction MOS memory capacitor target for electron beam addressable memory and method of using same
US4099261A (en) * 1977-02-22 1978-07-04 General Electric Company Method for writing on archival memory target by ion damage
US4233671A (en) * 1979-01-05 1980-11-11 Stanford University Read only memory and integrated circuit and method of programming by laser means
EP0038865A1 (en) * 1980-04-25 1981-11-04 Alton Owen Christensen Electron beam storage apparatus
US4652926A (en) * 1984-04-23 1987-03-24 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Solid state imaging technique

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FR2176029B3 (ja) 1976-03-12
FR2176029A1 (ja) 1973-10-26
JPS494919A (ja) 1974-01-17

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