High-speed light sensing apparatus

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;

one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and

one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal, wherein the one or more first switches comprise:

a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal; and

a first n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit,

wherein the one or more second switches comprise:

a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal; and

a second n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit,

wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a third p-doped region and one or more n-doped regions, the germanium-silicon layer is arranged over the third p-doped region, and the third p-doped region is electrically shorted with the one or more n-doped regions.

2. The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region and a fourth n-doped region,

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region is formed in the third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the second p-doped region is formed in the fourth n-doped region.

3. The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region and a portion of the second p-doped region are formed in the third n-doped region.

4. The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the first control signal is a fixed bias voltage, and

wherein the second control signal is a variable bias voltage that is biased over the fixed voltage of the first control signal.

5. The optical apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the photons absorbed by the germanium-silicon layer are reflected from a surface of a three-dimensional target, and

wherein the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more first switches and the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more second switches are utilized by a time-of-flight system to analyze depth information or a material composition of the three-dimensional target.

6. An optical apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;

one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and

one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,

wherein the one or more first switches comprise:

a first p-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal; and

a first n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and

wherein the one or more second switches comprise:

a second p-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal; and

a second n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.

7. The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a third n-doped region and a fourth n-doped region,

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region is formed in the third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the second p-doped region is formed in the fourth n-doped region.

8. The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region and a portion of the second p-doped region are formed in the third n-doped region.

9. The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises one or more p-well regions.

10. The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the first control signal is a fixed bias voltage, and

wherein the second control signal is a variable bias voltage that is biased over the fixed voltage of the first control signal.

11. The optical apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the photons absorbed by the absorption layer are reflected from a surface of a three-dimensional target, and

wherein the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more first switches and the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more second switches are utilized by a time-of-flight system to analyze depth information or a material composition of the three-dimensional target.

12. An optical apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;

one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and

one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,

wherein the one or more first switches comprise:

multiple first p-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple first p-doped regions are controlled by the first control signal; and

multiple first n-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple first n-doped regions are coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and

wherein the one or more second switches comprise:

multiple second p-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple second p-doped regions are controlled by the second control signal; and

multiple second n-doped regions in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the multiple second n-doped regions are coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.

13. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the multiple first p-doped regions and a portion of the multiple second p-doped regions are formed in the third n-doped region.

14. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the multiple first p-doped regions and the multiple second p-doped regions are arranged in an interdigitated arrangement along a first plane in the semiconductor substrate, and

wherein the multiple first n-doped regions and the multiple second n-doped regions are arranged in an interdigitated arrangement along a second plane in the semiconductor substrate that is different from the first plane.

15. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein each p-doped region of the multiple first p-doped regions is arranged over a respective n-doped region of the multiple first n-doped regions, and

wherein each p-doped region of the multiple second p-doped regions is arranged over a respective n-doped region of the multiple second n-doped regions.

16. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises one or more p-well regions.

17. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the first control signal is a fixed bias voltage, and

wherein the second control signal is a variable bias voltage that is biased over the fixed voltage of the first control signal.

18. The optical apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the photons absorbed by the absorption layer are reflected from a surface of a three-dimensional target, and

wherein the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more first switches and the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more second switches are utilized by a time-of-flight system to analyze depth information or a material composition of the three-dimensional target.

19. An optical apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;

one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and

one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal,

wherein the one or more first switches comprise:

a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal; and

a first n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit, and

wherein the one or more second switches comprise:

a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal; and

a second n-doped region in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit.

20. The optical apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region and a fourth n-doped region,

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region is formed in the third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the second p-doped region is formed in the fourth n-doped region.

21. The optical apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region and a portion of the second p-doped region are formed in the third n-doped region.

22. The optical apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises one or more p-well regions.

23. The optical apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein the first control signal is a fixed bias voltage, and

wherein the second control signal is a variable bias voltage that is biased over the fixed voltage of the first control signal.

24. The optical apparatus of claim 19 ,

wherein the photons absorbed by the germanium-silicon layer are reflected from a surface of a three-dimensional target, and

wherein the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more first switches and the portion of the photo-carriers collected by the one or more second switches are utilized by a time-of-flight system to analyze depth information or a material composition of the three-dimensional target.

25. An optical apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a germanium-silicon layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the germanium-silicon layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons;

one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and

one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal, wherein the one or more first switches comprise:

a first p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first p-doped region is controlled by the first control signal; and

a first n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the first n-doped region is coupled to a first readout integrated circuit,

wherein the one or more second switches comprise:

a second p-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second p-doped region is controlled by the second control signal; and

a second n-doped region in the germanium-silicon layer, wherein the second n-doped region is coupled to a second readout integrated circuit,

wherein the germanium-silicon layer includes a third n-doped region and a fourth n-doped region,

wherein at least a portion of the first p-doped region is formed in the third n-doped region, and

wherein at least a portion of the second p-doped region is formed in the fourth n-doped region.

26. The optical apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the third n-doped region overlaps with the fourth n-doped region.