Apparatus for radiation detection in a digital imaging system
The disclosure is directed at a method and apparatus for producing a detector element. The detector element includes first and second electrodes located on opposites sides of a semiconductor layer. The first and second electrodes are staggered with respect to each other in a plane perpendicular to the semiconductor layer.
1. A detector element for a digital imaging system comprising:
a semiconductor layer for absorbing photons;
a first electrode located on a first side of the semiconductor layer; and
a second electrode located on a second side of the semiconductor layer, the first and second side on opposite sides of the semiconductor layer;
wherein the first and second electrodes are staggered with respect to each other along a plane perpendicular to the semiconductor layer and do not overlap each other along a plane perpendicular to the semiconductor layer.
2. The detector element of claim 1 further comprising a blocking layer between said first electrode and said semiconductor layer.
3. The detector element of claim 2 further comprising a blocking layer between said second electrode and said semiconductor layer.
4. The detector element of claim 2 wherein said blocking layer comprises at least one of an insulating, ohmic or Schottky layer.
5. The detector element of claim 4 wherein the insulating layer is at least one of amorphous silicon nitride, amorphous silicon oxide, amorphous silicon oxynitride, polyimide, benzocyclobutene (BCB), poly-(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK), parylene, acrylic, and polystyrene.
6. The detector element of claim 2 wherein said blocking layer also functions as an antireflective layer.
7. The detector element of claim 1 further comprising an antireflective layer located on at least one side of said first or second electrodes.
8. The detector elements of claim 7 wherein said antireflective layer is at least one of amorphous silicon nitride, amorphous silicon oxide, amorphous silicon oxynitride or organic material.
9. The detector element of claim 1 wherein said electrodes are at least one of opaque or transparent conductive materials.
10. The detector element of claim 1 wherein said detector element is coupled to a readout circuit element.
11. The detector element of claim 10 where the readout circuit element comprises at least one of a transistor switch circuit, an active pixel sensor circuit or a photon counting pixel circuit.
12. The detector element of claim 10 wherein the detector element is integrated with a display pixel.