LADDNINGSKOPPLAD HALVLEDARMINNESMATRIS

1359626 Semi-conductor devices SIEMENS AG 5 Oct 1972 [20 Oct 1971] 45851/72 Heading H1K A semi-conductor device comprises a semiductor body having a conductively connected electrode, and a plurality of further electrodes, isolated from the first electrode, the further electrodes being arranged in groups of equal numbers of electrodes, at least two electrodes per group, one electrode of each group being insulated from the body by an insulating layer, the remainder being isolated from the first electrode by the same insulating layer or by a reverse biased PN junction or a Shottky barrier junction, interelectrode connections being made between each group so that one electrode is connected to an electrode of at least one other group, two groups being connected together through only one of their electrodes. The groups of electrodes may be arranged in a matrix as shown, in which row and column conductors are connected to the groups, the conductors overlying an insulating layer, e.g. of SiO 2 on a silicon substrate. An image formed on the body may be converted to electrical signals using minority carriers generated in the body by light passing through transparent electrodes, which carriers are collected in depletion regions beneath the electrodes, readout being singly from each element, or by row or column using potential applied to the conductors. Alternatively a triangular matrix may be used, each electrode group consisting of three electrodes. The interelectrode spacing within a group may be a maximum of 10 Á to ensure that depletion regions within the group overlap.