US Patent 11187819 Image sensor based on charge carrier avalanche

Disclosed herein is an apparatus suitable for radiation detection. The apparatus may comprise a radiation absorption layer and a first electrode on the radiation absorption layer. The radiation absorption layer may be configured to generate charge carriers therein from a radiation particle absorbed by the radiation absorption layer. The first electrode may be configured to generate an electric field in the radiation absorption layer. The first electrode may have a geometry shaping the electric field so that the electric field in an amplification region of the radiation absorption layer has a field strength sufficient to cause an avalanche of the charge carriers in the amplification region.