Electron multiplier for MEMs light detection device

1. An electron multiplier apparatus comprising:

an input surface for receiving electrons;

an emission surface opposite the input surface;

a plurality of doped ribs extending at least partially between the input surface and the emission surface to form a plurality of pixels; and

a plurality of textured surfaces disposed in the plurality of pixels.

2. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of textured surfaces comprise a plurality of depressions.

3. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of depressions is an inverted pyramid.

4. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the inverted pyramid includes two sets of opposing faces and the two sets of opposing faces meet at a point at a bottom of the depression.

5. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of doped ribs extend from the input surface to the emission surface.

6. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of doped ribs extend above the input surface.

7. The electron multiplier apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels are square pixels and the plurality of textured surfaces include tops defined by the square pixels.

8. A method of forming an electron multiplier for a Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) image intensifier, comprising:

creating a plurality of pixels between a plurality of ribs that extend at least partially between an input surface and an emission surface of a substrate; and

creating a plurality of textured surfaces in the plurality of pixels.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the creating of the plurality of pixels comprises:

creating trenches in the substrate;

filling the trenches with a doped material that forms the plurality of ribs; and

removing a portion of the substrate to reveal the plurality of ribs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the removing comprises:

dry etching the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the trenches comprise a lattice of trenches and the plurality of pixels are square pixels.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the creating of the plurality of pixels comprises:

implanting the plurality of ribs into the substrate.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the creating the plurality of textured surfaces comprises:

wet etching the substrate between the plurality of ribs to form the textured surfaces in the pixels.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of ribs are formed from a doped material and act as a mask during the wet etching.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of textured surfaces are inverted pyramids.

16. An electron sensing device comprising:

a cathode for providing a source of electrons; and

an anode for receiving electrons emitted from the cathode, the anode including a plurality of textured surfaces disposed between doped ribs that extend at least partially through the anode and define a plurality of pixels.

17. The electron sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of textured surfaces comprise a plurality of inverted pyramid depressions.

18. The electron sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the doped ribs extend above a top surface of the anode and below a bottom of the textured surfaces.

19. The electron sensing device of claim 18 , wherein the doped ribs are perpendicular to the top surface of the anode.

20. The electron sensing device of claim 16 , wherein the anode receives a first number of electrons and outputs a second number of electrons, the second number being larger than the first number.