| The theory and operation of a charge-coupled device and an optical waveguide in intimate contact with an image pixel of charge-coupled device are modeled, and simulation results are discussed. A CCD image pixel is a p-type, and an n-type junction of optically sensitive material, which converts incident optical energy into electron-hole pairs. Then electrons at each pixel are collected in potential wells, and shifted to a register where the charges are detected as a voltage. Usually a CCD consists of thousands of image pixels, thus the larger the number of pixels, the longer the time that is required to read the entire array. The evanescent component of an optical wave is widely used in modern sensors because of the evanescent component's high sensitivity of to changes in the index of refraction along an optical waveguide is changed. This investigation extends the phenomenon to waveguide boundary changes that result from perturbed surface conductivity that are related to photoconductive charges in CCD pixels. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
