Advanced Photonix patents filter-on-die color detectors
Advanced Photonix (Camarillo, CA) has received a patent for color-specific detectors that use a simplified integral filter-on-die technology. The technology combines optical coatings that have been tailored to pass certain wavelengths of light with a photodiode directly on the detector chip. Previous designs required a piece of colored filter glass or pigmented epoxy in a separate subassembly on to¥of the detector. The filters can be used with the company`s double-sided detectors. The filtered surface acts as the signal channel, and the electrodes connecting the photodiode to the external circuit are on the filter-free surface, which is also light sensitive. The surface with the electrodes can serve as a reference channel, eliminating the need for a second detector for calibration. Applications include aerospace, military and environmental sensing, barcode scanning, and medical diagnostics.