US 11,733,359 B2
Configurable array of single-photon detectors
Nadav Fine, Herzliya (IL); Amir Nevet, Haifa (IL); and Oz Barak, Tel Aviv (IL)
Assigned to APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/79,548.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/942,761, filed on Dec. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0165083 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 7/4863 (2020.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); H01L 27/148 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4863 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/894 (2020.01); H01L 27/14856 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Optical sensing apparatus, comprising:
at least one semiconductor substrate;
a first array of single-photon detectors, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate and are configured to output electrical pulses in response to photons that are incident thereon;
a second array of counters, which are disposed on the at least one semiconductor substrate and are configured to count the electrical pulses output by the single-photon detectors; and
routing and aggregation logic, which is configured, in response to a control signal, to connect the single-photon detectors to at least some of the counters such that in a first mode, each counter among the at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective first group of one or more of the single-photon detectors, and in a second mode, each counter among the at least some of the counters aggregates and counts the electrical pulses output by a respective second group, different from the first group, of two or more of the single-photon detectors.