IP Library Granted Patent US 11,855,227
Granted Patent B2
US 11,855,227 · App. 17/747,268 · Granted Dec 26, 2023

Solid-state image pickup unit and electronic apparatus

Inventor: Tetsuji Yamaguchi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
H01L29/7869H01L27/14603H01L27/14609H01L27/14612H01L27/14621H01L27/14623H01L27/14636H01L27/14645H01L27/14665H01L29/16H01L29/24H04N25/134H04N25/63H04N25/70H04N25/76H10K19/20H10K39/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,855,227
App. No.
17/747,268
Granted
Dec 26, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solid-state image pickup unit includes: a substrate made of a first semiconductor; a substrate made of a first semiconductor; a photoelectric conversion device provided on the substrate and including a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode in order from the substrate; and a plurality of field-effect transistors configured to perform signal reading from the photoelectric conversion device. The plurality of transistors include a transfer transistor and an amplification transistor, the transfer transistor includes an active layer containing a second semiconductor with a larger band gap than that of the first semiconductor, and one terminal of a source and a drain of the transfer transistor also serves the first electrode or the second electrode of the photoelectric conversion device, and the other terminal of the transfer transistor is connected to a gate of the amplification transistor.

Claims (35)

1. A light detecting device, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion layer disposed above a semiconductor substrate;

a first electrode disposed above the photoelectric conversion layer;

a second electrode disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the semiconductor substrate;

an oxide semiconductor layer disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode; and

an amplification transistor disposed at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode of the amplification transistor being connected to the oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a first portion configured to store electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer, and

wherein the second electrode is electrically isolated from the oxide semiconductor layer and configured to transfer the electric charge stored in the first portion of the oxide semiconductor layer.

2. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion layer overlaps the oxide semiconductor layer in a plan view.

3. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor layer overlaps the second electrode in a plan view.

4. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is disposed closer to the photoelectric conversion layer than to the first electrode.

5. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises one or more kinds of indium, zinc, and gallium.

6. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a second portion configured to receive the electric charge stored in the first portion.

7. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a second surface of the semiconductor substrate is between the photoelectric conversion layer and the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

8. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a reset transistor at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, one of a source and a drain of the reset transistor being connected to the oxide semiconductor layer.

9. The light detecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the one of the source and the drain of the reset transistor and the gate electrode of the amplification transistor are connected to the oxide semiconductor layer through a wiring line.

10. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one photodiode disposed in the semiconductor substrate.

11. The light detecting device according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one photodiode overlaps the photoelectric conversion layer in a plan view.

12. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is made of a first semiconductor and the oxide semiconductor layer is made of a second semiconductor with a larger band gap than that of the first semiconductor.

13. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , the photoelectric conversion layer is an organic photoelectric conversion layer.

14. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a wiring layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the semiconductor substrate, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is disposed in an opening of the wiring layer.

15. The light detecting device according to claim 14 , wherein the second electrode is disposed in the wiring layer.

16. The light detecting device according to claim 15 , wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a second portion configured to receive the electric charge transferred from the first portion by the second electrode.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an optical lens;

a signal processor; and

a light detecting device, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion layer disposed above a semiconductor substrate;

a first electrode disposed above the photoelectric conversion layer;

a second electrode disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the semiconductor substrate;

an oxide semiconductor layer disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode; and

an amplification transistor disposed at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode of the amplification transistor being connected to the oxide semiconductor layer,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises a first portion configured to store electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer, and

wherein the second electrode is electrically isolated from the oxide semiconductor layer and configured to transfer the electric charge stored in the first portion of the oxide semiconductor layer.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2023
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063622/0980 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059945 FRAME: 0073. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 12, 2023
From: YAMAGUCHI, TETSUJI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063632/0533 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2022
From: YAMAGUCHI, TETSUJI
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059945/0073 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-005274 · Jan 16, 2013 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17068807 · Oct 12, 2020
Continuation 16056139 · Aug 6, 2018
Continuation 15581317 · Apr 28, 2017
Continuation 15581128 · Apr 28, 2017
Continuation 14759734
Related Publication 20220278237A1 · Sep 1, 2022