Abstract:
The invention relates to semiconductor substrates and methods for producing such semiconductor substrates. In this connection, it is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor substrates which can be produced more cost-effectively and with which a high arrangement density as well as good electrical conductivity and closed surfaces can be achieved. In accordance with the invention, an electrically conductive connection is guided from its front side through the substrate up to the rear side. The electrically conductive connection is completely surrounded from the outside. The insulator is formed by an opening which is filled with material. The inner wall is provided with a dielectric coating and/or filled with an electrically insulating or conductive material. The electrically conductive connection is formed with a further opening which is filled with an electrically conductive material and is arranged in the interior of the insulator. The openings are formed with step-free inner walls aligned orthogonally to the front side or tapering continuously in the direction of the rear side.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a radiation sensor featuring a plurality of individual sensor elements, e.g. pixels, each of which having a radiation detection portion that is adapted to generate an electric current in response to impingement of electromagnetic radiation and a current amplifier for amplifying the photoelectric current generated by the radiation detection portion. Current amplification is therefore performed locally within each pixel of the radiation sensor itself. This local current amplification effectively allows to increase sensitivity and response of the radiation sensor and therefore enables implementation of the radiation sensor on the basis of CMOS technology. By means of the current amplification, the radiation sensor can be adapted for read-out by means of read-out devices and signal processing modules featuring distinct input specifications Further, a bias current required by the pixel implemented current amplifier is reproduced within each pixel and coupled to consecutive or adjacently arranged sensor elements or pixel, thereby providing a cascaded bias current regeneration and bias current distribution scheme.
Abstract:
The invention is directed at an apparatus (10), an imaging device and a method for detecting X-ray photons, in particular photons (32,34) in a computer tomograph. Photons (32,34) are converted into an electrical pulse and compared against a threshold using a discriminator (20). The electrical network (12) performing these functions comprises a switching element (28), that can modify the electrical path (22) along which the process signals travel. The trigger signal (V T ) for actuating the switching element (28) is derived from an electrical state of the electrical path (22). If a pulse associated to a photon (32,34) is detected, the switching element (28) is actuated in order to avoid that the processing of the charge pulse stemming from a first photon (32) is affected by a subsequent second photon (34).
Abstract translation:本发明涉及一种用于检测计算机断层摄影机中的X射线光子,特别是光子(32,34)的成像装置和方法的装置(10)。 光子(32,34)被转换成电脉冲,并使用鉴别器(20)与阈值进行比较。 执行这些功能的电网(12)包括开关元件(28),其可以修改过程信号沿其移动的电路径(22)。 用于致动开关元件(28)的触发信号(V SUB T)是从电路径(22)的电气状态导出的。 如果检测到与光子(32,34)相关联的脉冲,则开关元件(28)被致动以避免由第一光子(32)产生的电荷脉冲的处理受随后的第二光子( 34)。
Abstract:
A radiation detector assembly (20) includes a detector array module (40) configured to convert radiation particles to electrical detection pulses, and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (42) operatively connected with the detector array. The ASIC includes signal processing circuitry (60) configured to digitize an electrical detection pulse received from the detector array, and test circuitry (80) configured to inject a test electrical pulse into the signal processing circuitry. The test circuitry includes a current meter (84) configured to measure the test electrical pulse injected into the signal processing circuitry, and a charge pulse generator (82) configured to generate a test electrical pulse that is injected into the signal processing circuitry. The radiation detector assembly (20) is assembled by operatively connecting the ASIC (42) with the detector array module (40), and the signal processing circuitry (60) of the ASIC of the assembled radiation detector assembly is tested without the use of radiation.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for the detection and/or transmission of radiation, particularly an X-ray detector 1, that consists of a carrier 10 on which an array of detector modules 20 is arranged. The carrier 10 comprises holes 11 through which a ball at the backside of the detector modules 20 can be inserted in order to fix the modules such that they can still rotate to a certain degree. Due to this freedom, the sensor modules 20 can align themselves during assembly.
Abstract:
An imaging system includes a scintillator array (202) and a digital photomultiplier array (204). A photon counting channel (212), an integrating channel (210), and a moment generating channel (214) process the output signal of the digital photomultiplier array (204). A reconstructor (122) spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals. In one embodiment, a controller (232) activates the photon counting channel (212) to process the digital signal only if a radiation flux is below a predetermined threshold. An imaging system includes at least one direct conversion layer (302) and at least two scintillator layers (304) and corresponding photosensors (306). A photon counting channel (212) processes an output of the at least one direct conversion layer (302), and an integrating channel (210) and a moment generating channel (214) process respective outputs of the photosensors (306). A reconstructor (122) spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a radiation detector, particularly an X-ray detector (100), comprising a counting circuitry (10, 20, 30) for counting electrical pulses generated by the (sub-)pixels (2) of the detector. In the counting circuitry, the results counted by a fast counting stage (10) are at intervals transferred to a slow counting stage (20). The fast counting stage (10) may for example comprise a fast counter (111) with a low bit-depth operating as a frequency divider in front of a slow counter (121) of high bit-depth in the slow counting stage (20). The counting circuitry (10, 20, 30) can optionally be fed via a multiplexer (4) with the signals of several (sub-)pixels (2). Furthermore, the pixels (1, 2) of the radiation device may optionally deliver energy resolved pulses.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes an integrator (120) that produces a pulse having a peak amplitude indicative of the energy of a detected photon. First discharging circuitry (136) discharges the integrator (120) at a first discharging speed, and second discharging circuitry (124) discharges the integrator (120) at a second discharging speed. The first discharging speed is less than the second discharging speed.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a scale factor determiner (236) that determines a count scale factor based on a measured count of a number detected photons for an energy threshold and an estimated actual count of the number of detected photons. The photons include poly-energetic photons detected by a radiation sensitive detector. The apparatus further includes a count sealer (136) that employs the count scale factor to scale measured counts of detected photons for different energy thresholds.