Active-matrix pixelized well detectors on polymeric substrates

There is currently considerable interest in the fabrication of lightweight, large-area information displays, detectors, imaging sensors, and flexible electronic circuits. We have developed a process to fabricate thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si) based active-matrix pixelized well detectors on polymeric substrates. Thin-film a-Si is inherently lightweight and can be deposited over very large areas. Electronic devices made by a-Si are typically made on rigid substrates such as glass plates, however, glass substrates are heavy, rigid, and fragile. Alternative substrates such as polymeric films are of interest for a variety of applications, including rugged active-matrix flat panel displays, lightweight spacecraft solar arrays, and flexible imaging sensors. Recently, we have demonstrated a-Si photovoltaic cells, a-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs), and integrated a-Si TFT circuits on flexible Kapton polyimide substrates with characteristics similar to devices made on glass substrates. Here we report on a flat-panel detector for X-rays and charged particles generated by gamma rays, which uses an array of microelectromechanical (MEMS)-like detector structures integrated with a-Si TFTs on a polymeric substrate.