1-12. (canceled)
13. An imaging device comprising:
a semiconductor layer comprising a matrix array of photosites extending in first and second directions;
a transfer circuit coupled to said matrix array of photosites and configured to transfer charge in the first direction; and
an extraction circuit coupled to said matrix array of photosites and configured to extract charge in the second direction.
14. The imaging device according to claim 13 wherein said matrix array of photosites extends in the first direction comprising a column direction and the second direction comprising a row direction.
15. The imaging device according to claim 13 wherein said transfer circuit comprises, for each photosite, a first elementary circuit configured to transfer charge in the first direction; and wherein each extraction circuit comprises, for each photosite, a second elementary circuit configured to extract charge in the second direction.
16. The imaging device according to claim 15 wherein said first elementary circuit comprises a plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs, each electrodecounter-electrode pair comprising an electrode and a counter electrode facing each other and extending in the first direction; wherein the plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs are positioned in succession in the first direction; and wherein said transfer circuit comprises a first controller configured to apply potential differences to successive electrodecounter-electrode pairs.
17. The imaging device according to claim 16 wherein said second elementary circuit comprises a connector configured to connect the electrode of a first electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite to the electrode of a second electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite; wherein the first and the second electrodecounter-electrode pairs are adjacent in the photosite; and wherein said first controller is configured to alternatively apply different potentials to the two connected electrodes and to the two adjacent corresponding counter electrodes.
18. The imaging device according to claim 13 further comprising a second controller configured to activate said transfer circuit for groups of photosites extending in succession in the first direction and to activate said extraction circuit in at least one photosite of a last group of the groups of photosites.
19. The imaging device according to claim 13 further comprising a transformer configured to change a charge extracted by said extraction circuit into a corresponding voltage.
20. The imaging device according to claim 13 wherein said transfer circuit forms a CMOS time delay and integration imaging device.
21. An electronic device comprising:
a controller;
an imaging device coupled to said controller and comprising
a semiconductor layer comprising a matrix array of photosites extending in first and second directions,
a transfer circuit coupled to said matrix array of photosites and configured to transfer charge in the first direction, and
an extraction circuit coupled to said matrix array of photosites and configured to extract charge in the second direction.
22. The electronic device according to claim 21 wherein said matrix array of photosites extends in the first direction comprising a column direction and the second direction comprising a row direction.
23. The electronic device according to claim 21 wherein said transfer circuit comprises, for each photosite, a first elementary circuit configured to transfer charge in the first direction; and wherein each extraction circuit comprises, for each photosite, a second elementary circuit configured to extract charge in the second direction.
24. The electronic device according to claim 23 wherein said first elementary circuit comprises a plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs, each electrodecounter-electrode pair comprising an electrode and a counter electrode facing each other and extending in the first direction; wherein the plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs are positioned in succession in the first direction; and wherein said transfer circuit comprises a first controller configured to apply potential differences to successive electrodecounter-electrode pairs.
25. The electronic device according to claim 24 wherein said second elementary circuit comprises a connector configured to connect the electrode of a first electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite to the electrode of a second electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite; wherein the first and the second electrodecounter-electrode pairs are adjacent in the photosite; and wherein said first controller is configured to alternatively apply different potentials to the two connected electrodes and to the two adjacent corresponding counter electrodes.
26. A method for operating a matrix array of photosites arranged in a first direction and a second direction, the method comprising:
transferring charge from photosites in the first direction; and
extracting charge from the photosites in the second direction.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the matrix array of photosites extends in the first direction comprising a column direction and the second direction comprising a row direction.
28. The method according to claim 26 wherein each photosite comprises a plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs positioned adjacent in the first direction, each of electrodecounter-electrode pair comprising an electrode and a counter electrode facing each other and extending in the first direction; and wherein transferring charge in the first direction comprises applying electrical potential differences between adjacent electrodecounter-electrode pairs.
29. The method according to claim 28 wherein extracting charge from a photosite in the second direction comprises applying an electrical potential having a first level to the electrode of a first electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite and to the electrode of a second electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite, and applying a potential having a second level to the counter electrodes of the first and second electrodecounter-electrode pairs.
30. The method according to claim 26 further comprising activating the charge transfer in groups extending in succession in the first direction, and activating the charge extraction in at least one photosite of the last group.
31. The method according to claim 26 further comprising transforming the charge extracted from a photosite into a corresponding voltage.
32. A method for making an imaging device comprising:
forming a semiconductor layer comprising a matrix array of photosites extending in first and second directions;
coupling a transfer circuit to the matrix array of photosites to transfer charge in the first direction; and
coupling an extraction circuit to the matrix array of photosites to extract charge in the second direction.
33. The method according to claim 32 further comprising forming the matrix array of photosites to extend in the first direction comprising a column direction and the second direction comprising a row direction.
34. The method according to claim 32 wherein the transfer circuit comprises, for each photosite, a first elementary circuit transfer charge in the first direction; and wherein each extraction circuit comprises, for each photosite, a second elementary circuit to extract charge in the second direction.
35. The method according to claim 34 wherein the first elementary circuit comprises a plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs, each electrodecounter-electrode pair comprising an electrode and a counter electrode facing each other and extending in the first direction; further comprising positioning the plurality of electrodecounter-electrode pairs in succession in the first direction; and wherein the transfer circuit comprises a first controller to apply potential differences to successive electrodecounter-electrode pairs.
36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the second elementary circuit comprises a connector to connect the electrode of a first electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite to the electrode of a second electrodecounter-electrode pair of the photosite; wherein the first and the second electrodecounter-electrode pairs are adjacent in the photosite; and wherein the first controller alternatively applies different potentials to the two connected electrodes and to the two adjacent corresponding counter electrodes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Coating apparatus for the coating of a substrate (1) by means of cathode sputtering including a process chamber (2) for setting up and maintaining a gas atmosphere and having an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for a process gas as well as:
an anode (5) and a cathode (6) with a target (61) of the target material (62) to be sputtered;
an electrical energy source (7) for the generation of an electrical voltage between the anode (5) and the cathode (6), wherein
the electrical energy source (7) includes an electrical sputtering source (8) with which the target material (62) of the cathode (6) can be transferred by sputtering into a vapour form,
and wherein ionising means (9) are provided for the generation of an electrical ionisation voltage (91) so that the sputtered target material (62) can be at least partly ionised,
characterised in that a filter device (10) is provided with a magnetic guide component (11), said filter device (10) being designed and arranged so that the sputtered ionised target material (622) can be supplied via the magnetic guide component (11) to a surface of the substrate (1) to be coated and the sputtered non-ionised target material (623, 624) can be filtered out by the filter device (10) before reaching the surface of the substrate (S).
2. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the filter device (10) has at least one section in the form of a hose (12) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) and having an inlet opening (121) and an outlet opening (122) for the sputtered target material (62).
3. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the hose (12) has, with respect to the longitudinal axis (L), at least one bend with a predetermined angle of bend (a) in a plane of curvature.
4. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the hose (12) has a plurality of bends in opposite directions with respect to a plane of curvature.
5. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the hose (12) has bends with respect to at least two different planes of curvature.
6. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the hose (12) is of spiral shape in a predetermined section with respect to the longitudinal axis (L).
7. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magnetic guide component (11) includes an electrical magnetic coil, preferably a Helmholtz coil, for the generation of a magnetic guide field.
8. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the magnetic guide component (11) includes a permanent magnet for the generation of a magnetic guide field.
9. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one retention diaphragm (13) is provided as a particle trap for the filtering of non-ionised sputtered target material (623, 624).
10. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein, for the neutralisation of the process gas andor of the sputtered material, in particular for the neutralisation of argon, an electron source is provided for the injection of electrons with which ions of the process gas can be neutralised.
11. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substrate (1) andor a substrate holder (100) can be set to a predeterminable electrically positive or negative potential.
12. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the process chamber (2) includes a sputtering chamber (21) in which the cathode (6) is arranged and a coating chamber (22) in which the substrate (S) is arranged.
13. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein more than one cathode (6) andor more than one anode (5) is provided.
14. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coating apparatus is designed such that at least two different substrates (S) can be coated.
15. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein more than one sputtering chamber (21) andor more than one coating chamber (22) is provided.
16. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the target (61) includes carbon or carbon compounds.
17. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the target (61) includes metals or metal alloys, in particular copper.
18. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a magnetron (600) is provided, preferably at the cathode (6).
19. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a balanced magnetron (601) is provided, preferably at the cathode (6).
20. Coating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein an imbalanced magnetron (602) is provided, preferably at the cathode (6).
21. Method for the coating of a substrate (S) by means of cathode sputtering in a coating apparatus (1) including:
a process chamber (2) with an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for a process gas for the setting up of a gas atmosphere;
an anode (5) and a cathode (6) with a target (61) of a target material (62) which is sputtered for the coating of a substrate (S);
an electrical energy source (7) with which an electric potential can be produced between the anode (5) and the cathode (6), wherein
the electrical energy source (7) has an electrical sputtering source (8) with which the target material (62) of the cathode can be transferred by sputtering into a vapour form and
wherein an ionisation means (9) is provided for the generation of an electrical ionisation voltage (91) with which the sputtered target material (62) can be at least partly ionised,
characterised in that a filter device (10) is provided with a magnetic guide component (11), said filter device (10) being designed and arranged such that the sputtered ionised target material (622) is at least partly supplied by the magnetic guide component (1) to a surface of the substrate (S) to be coated and a predetermined proportion of the sputtered non-ionised target material (623, 624) is filtered out by the filter device (10) before reaching the surface of the substrate (S).
22. Substrate, in particular an optical or an electronic component, especially a hard disc of a computer, which is coated with a coating apparatus (1) in accordance with claim 21.