Static Induction Transistor Imagers

The semiconductor material used in the embodiments is silicon. However, it is mentioned that HgCdTe may be used instead. 

An imager using Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor gate Static Induction Transistors (MISSIT) formed in silicon, for read-out and refresh, and having a photo detecting layer of HgCdTe is presented in EP-A-0038697 (Semiconductor Research Foundation, Japan, 28.10.81). 

Several embodiments are disclosed in the patent application. In one of the embodiments the refresh transistor has been eliminated. 

The imager of EP-A-0038697, shown above, has a complex structure and hence is difficult to produce. In EP-A-0042218 (Semiconductor Research Foundation, Japan, 23.12.81) a simplified structure is presented. In all the embodiments the refresh transistor present in most of the embodiments of EP-A-0038697 has been eliminated. 

In EP-A-0094973 (Semiconductor Research Foundation, Japan, 30.11.83) a storing capacitor is connected either to the gate, the source or the drain of the static induction transistor. 

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A photo-electric converter which incorporates the principles of a static induction transistor is disclosed in US-A-4427990. Two dimensional imagers making use of the photo-electric converter are also presented. 

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