Light-receiving device, X-ray imaging device, and electronic apparatus

1 . A light-receiving device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region; and

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region,

wherein, at a boundary position between the light-receiving region and the peripheral region, the third first electrically-conductive region and the first second electrically-conductive region provided in an outermost peripheral one of the light-receiving elements of the light-receiving region and the fourth first electrically-conductive region and the first second electrically-conductive region provided in the peripheral region have a mirror symmetry in a cross-sectional view,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

2 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the first second electrically-conductive region facing the fourth first electrically-conductive region in the peripheral region has a higher impurity concentration than the first second electrically-conductive region provided in the light-receiving region.

3 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein

the third first electrically-conductive region comprises a plurality of third first electrically-conductive regions, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region comprises a plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions, and

a number of the fourth first electrically-conductive regions is larger than a number of the third first electrically-conductive regions.

4 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is provided around the light-receiving region independently for each row and each column of the plurality of light-receiving elements arranged two-dimensionally in matrix in the light-receiving region.

5 . The light-receiving device according to claim 4 , wherein

the fourth first electrically-conductive region comprises a plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions, and

an interval between the plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions becomes wider as being closer to a terminal part.

6 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-receiving elements each have a substantially rectangular or substantially regular hexagonal planar shape.

7 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate includes an intrinsic semiconductor.

8 . The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein

the semiconductor substrate includes a depletion region in the light-receiving region, and

the semiconductor substrate includes a neutral region in the peripheral region.

9 . The light-receiving device according to claim 8 , wherein the light-receiving elements each comprise a P-N junction light-receiving element that applies a reverse bias between the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and a second surface opposed to the first surface.

10 . A light-receiving device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region;

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region; and

a fifth first electrically-conductive region provided around the light-receiving region with the fourth first electrically-conductive region interposed therebetween, the fifth first electrically-conductive region receiving application of a fixed electric potential,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

11 . The light-receiving device according to claim 10 , wherein, at a boundary position between the light-receiving region and the peripheral region, the third first electrically-conductive region and the first second electrically-conductive region provided in an outermost peripheral one of the light-receiving elements of the light-receiving region and the fourth first electrically-conductive region and the first second electrically-conductive region provided in the peripheral region have a mirror symmetry in a cross-sectional view.

12 . A light-receiving device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region; and

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region,

wherein the third first electrically-conductive region comprises a plurality of third first electrically-conductive regions, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region comprises a plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions,

wherein the light-receiving device further comprises, at the first surface, a second second electrically-conductive region being provided between the third first electrically-conductive regions adjacent to each other, between the third first electrically-conductive region and the fourth first electrically-conductive region adjacent to each other, and between the fourth first electrically-conductive regions adjacent to each other,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

13 . The light-receiving device according to claim 12 , wherein the second second electrically-conductive region provided between the plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions has a higher impurity concentration than the second second electrically-conductive region provided between the plurality of third first electrically-conductive regions.

14 . The light-receiving device according to claim 12 , wherein a width of the second second electrically-conductive region provided between the plurality of fourth first electrically-conductive regions is wider than a width of the second second electrically-conductive region provided between the plurality of third first electrically-conductive regions.

15 . A light-receiving device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region;

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region; and

on a side of a second surface opposed to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, a sixth first electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate, the sixth first electrically-conductive region facing the first second electrically-conductive region,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

16 . The light-receiving device according to claim 15 , wherein the sixth first electrically-conductive region is provided only in the light-receiving region.

17 . The light-receiving device according to claim 16 , wherein the sixth first electrically-conductive region extends to below the first first electrically-conductive region, and

the first first electrically-conductive region and the sixth first electrically-conductive region are coupled to each other.

18 . A light-receiving device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region; and

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region,

wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is provided continuously around the light-receiving region, and meanders in accordance with pitches of the plurality of light-receiving elements arranged two-dimensionally in matrix in the light-receiving region,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

19 . An X-ray imaging device, comprising:

a plurality of light-receiving elements generating signal charge based on an X-ray;

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which the plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region;

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region;

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode;

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state;

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state, and wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is in the peripheral region; and

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.

20 . An electronic apparatus comprising an X-ray imaging device,

the X-ray imaging device including

a plurality of light-receiving elements generating signal charge based on an X-ray,

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving region in which the plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged two-dimensionally in matrix, and a peripheral region provided around the light-receiving region,

a first first electrically-conductive region provided at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a first electrode, and wherein the first first electrically-conductive region is in the light-receiving region,

a second first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the first first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the second first electrically-conductive region is coupled to a second electrode,

a third first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface and around the second first electrically-conductive region provided for each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the third first electrically-conductive region is in an electrically floating state,

a fourth first electrically-conductive region provided at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and around the light-receiving region, wherein the fourth first electrically-conductive region is an electrically floating state, in the peripheral region, and

a first second electrically-conductive region embedded and formed in the semiconductor substrate and facing the second first electrically-conductive region, the third first electrically-conductive region, and the fourth first electrically-conductive region,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth first electrically-conductive regions are first conductivity type electrically-conductive regions, and

wherein the first second electrically-conductive region is a second conductivity type electrically-conductive region.