An amorphous SiHx-ferroelectric image scanner

Abstract

By sputtering an amorphous SiHx photoconductor onto a gadolinium molybdate crystal, the voltage required to move a ferroelectric domain wall can be modulated with a light pattern. This allows the light pattern to be converted to a voltage waveform. Since the domain wall is less than 100 nm wide, a high-resolution image line scan is produced without fabricating a fine pattern in the device surface. Using a constant current source to drive the domain wall, the fabricated devices resolve up to 400 lines/mm. This limitation is due to the device capacitance rather than domain-wall width or current spreading in the photoconductor.