IP Library Granted Patent US 12,349,494
Granted Patent B2
US 12,349,494 · App. 17/755,336 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Light receiving device and distance measuring device

Inventors: Koji Neya (Kanagawa, JP); Akira Matsumoto (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
H10F39/809G01S7/4816G01S7/4865G01S17/10H10F39/18
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,349,494
App. No.
17/755,336
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light receiving device ( 3 ) includes a first circuit substrate ( 10 ) and a second circuit substrate ( 20 ). An avalanche photodiode (APD) ( 101 ) and a protection element ( 130 ) that protects the APD ( 101 ) are disposed on the first circuit substrate ( 10 ). The second circuit substrate ( 20 ) is stacked on the first circuit substrate ( 10 ), and a signal processing circuit that processes a signal output from the APD ( 101 ) is disposed on the second circuit substrate ( 20 ).

Claims (40)

1. A light receiving device, comprising:

a pad region;

a first circuit substrate;

an avalanche photodiode (APD) configured to:

receive light from a light source device; and

output an electrical signal based on the received light;

a protection element configured to protect the APD, wherein

the APD and the protection element are on the first circuit substrate,

the protection element is between the pad region and the APD are disposed; and

a second circuit substrate that comprises a signal processing circuit, wherein

the signal processing circuit is configured to process the electrical signal, and

the second circuit substrate is on the first circuit substrate.

2. The light receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the protection element on the first circuit substrate corresponds to a region area of the APD.

3. The light receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection element is a bipolar transistor type.

4. The light receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the APD and the protection element is electrically connected to the second circuit substrate through Cu—Cu connection.

5. The light receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second circuit substrate further comprises a transistor,

the APD comprises a cathode and an anode,

the cathode is connected to a drain of the transistor,

the anode is connected to a voltage source of a negative voltage,

a source of the transistor is connected to a voltage source of a positive voltage,

the protection element is connected in parallel to the APD, and

a first end of the protection element is connected to the voltage source of the positive voltage and a second end of the protection element is connected to the voltage source of the negative voltage.

6. The light receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection element has a triple well structure of one of a PNP junction or a NPN junction.

7. A distance measuring device, comprising:

a light source device, wherein

the light source device is configured to emit light towards an object, and

the object reflects the light;

a light receiving device that comprises:

a pad region;

a first circuit substrate;

an avalanche photodiode (APD) configured to:

receive the reflected light; and

output an electrical signal based on the received reflected light;

a protection element configured to protect the APD, wherein

the APD and the protection element are on the first circuit substrate, and

the protection element is between the pad region and the APD; and

a second circuit substrate that comprises a signal processing circuit configured to:

process the electrical signal; and

measure a distance of the object from the distance measuring device based on a difference between a time of the emission of the light and a time of the reception of the reflected light.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2022
From: NEYA, KOJI; MATSUMOTO, AKIRA
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060055/0076 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-201729 · Nov 6, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220375980A1 · Nov 24, 2022
References Cited (31)
US 20090236496A1 · Tanada et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100201966A1 · Mase et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100328916A1 · Hirose et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20130105924A1 · Kobayashi et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20170244244A1 · Ikeda · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20190222733A1 · Nishide et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210193707A1 · Ishida · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CN 101688915A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
CN 101950750A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 104810354A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 107104099A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 109791937A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 2166373A1 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
EP 3525238A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007012864A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009014459A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009260305A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010245506A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011029614A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012033878A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017152462A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018060980A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018137284A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020100033368A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020110001939A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
TW 201110317A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO 2009005098A1 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
WO 2012001915A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018066225A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018150801A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2020/034038, issued on Nov. 2, 2020, 11 pages of ISRWO. [cited by applicant]