Thin-film amorphous silicon position-sensitive detectors

Optical position-sensitive detectors are a useful class of sensor with a wi de range of applications in machine control systems, industrial alignment, and robotic vision. They have distinct advantages over most arrayed discret e optical devices in that they can produce continuous optical signals, and versions based on thin-film amorphous silicon are Plot restricted by crysta l growth limits and so have the potential to be fabricated in large area fo rmat, Sputter-deposited hydrogenated a-Si also has features such as excelle nt adhesion to glass substrates, precise film thickness, and hydrogen conte nt control which are of some interest in device design and fabrication.