US 12,460,967 B2
Integrated bound-mode spectral/angular sensors
Steven R. J. Brueck, Albuquerque, NM (US); Alexander Neumann, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Payman Zarkesh-Ha, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Appl. No. 18/554,594
Filed by UNM RAINFOREST INNOVATIONS, Albuquerque, NM (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 26, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/013792
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 9, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/225589, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 27, 2022.
Application 18/554,594 is a continuation of application No. 17/238,444, filed on Apr. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,480,463, issued on Oct. 25, 2022.
Application 17/238,444 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/542,505, filed on Aug. 16, 2019, granted, now 10,989,590, issued on Apr. 27, 2021.
Application 16/542,505 is a continuation of application No. 15/706,440, filed on Sep. 15, 2017, granted, now 10,408,673, issued on Sep. 10, 2019.
Application 15/706,440 is a continuation of application No. 15/317,592, granted, now 9,766,123, issued on Sep. 19, 2017, previously published as PCT/US2015/034868, filed on Jun. 9, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/142,169, filed on Jan. 27, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/099,981, filed on Jan. 5, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/009,832, filed on Jun. 9, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2024/0377246 A1, Nov. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. G01J 1/06 (2006.01); G01J 1/44 (2006.01); G01J 3/02 (2006.01); G01J 3/18 (2006.01); G01J 3/28 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01); G02B 6/122 (2006.01); G02B 6/124 (2006.01); H10F 30/221 (2025.01); H10F 39/10 (2025.01); H10F 77/00 (2025.01); H10F 77/30 (2025.01); H10F 77/40 (2025.01)
CPC G01J 1/06 (2013.01) [G01J 1/44 (2013.01); G01J 3/0218 (2013.01); G01J 3/0259 (2013.01); G01J 3/18 (2013.01); G01J 3/1895 (2013.01); G01J 3/2803 (2013.01); G02B 6/122 (2013.01); G02B 6/124 (2013.01); H10F 30/221 (2025.01); H10F 39/107 (2025.01); H10F 77/334 (2025.01); H10F 77/413 (2025.01); H10F 77/953 (2025.01); G01J 2001/448 (2013.01); G02B 6/12004 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12061 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12107 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12138 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A 2-D optical sensor array comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel and a second pixel, wherein each of the pixels comprise:
a waveguide disposed on the semiconductor substrate that supports a single transverse electric (TE) and a single transverse magnetic (TM) waveguide mode;
one or more collection areas that couple incident light into the single TE and the single TM waveguide modes;
one or more transmission regions that allow propagation of the incident light that is coupled and collected in the collection area to one or more detection areas;
the one or more detection areas couples a portion of the light propagating through the one or more transmission regions to one or more detectors integrated into the semiconductor substrate;
a contact area where signals from the one or more detectors associated with the one or more pixels are collected; and
electronics for processing the signals that are collected to provide information on angular and spectral characteristics of the light incident onto one or more pixels of the plurality of pixels.