IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,484,320
Granted Patent B2
US 12,484,320 · App. 18/545,270 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Solid-state image capturing element, solid-state image capturing device, and solid-state image capturing element reading method

Inventors: Kenichi Murata (Kanagawa, JP); Masahiro Joei (Kanagawa, JP); Fumihiko Koga (Kanagawa, JP); Iwao Yagi (Kanagawa, JP); Shintarou Hirata (Tokyo, JP); Hideaki Togashi (Kanagawa, JP); Yosuke Saito (Tokyo, JP); Shingo Takahashi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignees: Sony Group Corporation; Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
H10F39/18H04N25/76H10F39/8057
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,484,320
App. No.
18/545,270
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a solid-state image capturing element including a semiconductor substrate and first and second photoelectric conversion parts configured to convert light into electric charge. The first and the second photoelectric conversion parts each have a laminated structure including an upper electrode, a lower electrode, a photoelectric conversion film sandwiched between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and an accumulation electrode facing the upper electrode through the photoelectric conversion film and an insulating film. The lower electrode of each of the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts is electrically connected with a common electric charge accumulation part through a common penetration electrode provided in common to the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts and penetrating through the semiconductor substrate, the common electric charge accumulation part being provided in common to the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts in the semiconductor substrate.

Claims (61)

1 . An element, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first photoelectric conversion part disposed above the semiconductor substrate and configured to convert light into electric charge; and

a second photoelectric conversion part disposed above the first photoelectric conversion part and configured to convert light into electric charge, wherein

at least one of the first photoelectric conversion part or the second photoelectric conversion part have a structure including:

a common electrode,

a reading electrode, and

a photoelectric conversion region between the common electrode and the reading electrode,

wherein at least one of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part or the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to an electric charge accumulation part in the semiconductor substrate through a common penetration electrode penetrating through the semiconductor substrate,

wherein the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part through a first penetration electrode, and

wherein, when the element is viewed from above, the first penetration electrode is disposed so as to be overlapped with the common penetration electrode.

2 . The element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part or the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to a pixel transistor through the common penetration electrode, the pixel transistor being disposed in the semiconductor substrate.

3 . The element according to claim 1 , further comprising a first wiring layer sandwiched between the semiconductor substrate and the first photoelectric conversion part, wherein

the reading electrode of each of the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts is electrically connected with the common penetration electrode through a first wire included in the first wiring layer.

4 . The element according to claim 1 , further comprising a second wiring layer sandwiched between the first photoelectric conversion part and the second photoelectric conversion part, wherein

the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected with the first penetration electrode through a second wire included in the second wiring layer.

5 . The element according to claim 4 , wherein the first penetration electrode penetrates through the second wiring layer and the first photoelectric conversion part from the second wire to the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part.

6 . The element according to claim 1 , further comprising a first waveguide disposed between the first photoelectric conversion part and the second photoelectric conversion part.

7 . The element according to claim 2 , further comprising a third photoelectric conversion part disposed above the second photoelectric conversion part and configured to convert light into electric charge, wherein the third photoelectric conversion part has a structure including a common electrode, a reading electrode, and a photoelectric conversion region between the common electrode and the reading electrode, and

wherein the reading electrode of the third photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to the electric charge accumulation part through the common penetration electrode.

8 . The element according to claim 7 , wherein the reading electrode of the third photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to the pixel transistor through the penetration electrode.

9 . The element according to claim 7 , wherein the reading electrode of the third photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected with the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part through a second penetration fifth electrode penetrating through the second photoelectric conversion part.

10 . The element according to claim 9 , further comprising a third wiring layer sandwiched between the second photoelectric conversion part and the third photoelectric conversion part, wherein

the reading electrode of the third photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected with the second penetration electrode through a third wire included in the third wiring layer.

11 . The element according to claim 10 , wherein the second penetration electrode penetrates through the third wiring layer and the second photoelectric conversion part from the third wire to the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part.

12 . The element according to claim 1 , wherein the structure further includes a transfer electrode disposed between the reading electrode and an accumulation electrode and facing the common electrode through the photoelectric conversion part.

13 . The element according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion region includes an organic material.

14 . The element according to claim 1 , wherein the structure further includes an accumulation electrode and an insulating layer, wherein the photoelectric conversion region is disposed between the common electrode and the accumulation electrode, and wherein the insulating layer is disposed between the common electrode and the accumulation electrode.

15 . The element according to claim 1 , wherein when the element is viewed from above, the first penetration electrode is disposed so as to be overlapped with the common penetration electrode.

16 . The element according to claim 14 , wherein, when the element is viewed from above,

a first exposure region that is exposed through an opening disposed at an insulating film of the first photoelectric conversion part and contacts the photoelectric conversion region of the first photoelectric conversion part is disposed at part of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part, and

a first contact region contacting the first penetration electrode is disposed at a remaining part of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part.

17 . The element according to claim 16 , wherein, when the element is viewed from above,

a second exposure region that is exposed through an opening disposed at the insulating film of the second photoelectric conversion part and contacts the photoelectric conversion region of the second photoelectric conversion part is disposed at the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part, and a second contact region electrically connected with the first penetration electrode is disposed at part of the second exposure region.

18 . A device comprising a plurality of elements disposed in a matrix,

each of the elements including:

a semiconductor substrate,

a first photoelectric conversion part disposed above the semiconductor substrate and configured to convert light into electric charge, and

a second photoelectric conversion part disposed above the first photoelectric conversion part and configured to convert light into electric charge, wherein

at least one of the first photoelectric conversion part and the second photoelectric conversion part each have a laminated structure including:

a common electrode,

a reading electrode, and

a photoelectric conversion region between the common electrode and the reading electrode,

wherein at least one of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part or the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to an electric charge accumulation part in the semiconductor substrate through a common penetration electrode penetrating through the semiconductor substrate,

wherein the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part through first penetration electrode penetrating through the first photoelectric conversion part, and

wherein, when the element is viewed from above, the first penetration electrode is disposed so as to be overlapped with the common penetration electrode.

19 . The device according to claim 18 , wherein each of the elements further includes a shield electrode disposed between the elements adjacent to each other when the device is viewed from above.

20 . An element reading method, the element including:

a semiconductor substrate,

a first photoelectric conversion part disposed above the semiconductor substrate and configured to convert light into electric charge, and

a second photoelectric conversion part disposed above the first photoelectric conversion part and configured to convert light into electric charge,

the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts each having a laminated structure including:

a common electrode,

a reading electrode, and

a photoelectric conversion region between the common electrode and the reading electrode,

wherein at least one of the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part or the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected to an electric charge accumulation part in the semiconductor substrate through a common penetration electrode penetrating through the semiconductor substrate,

wherein at least one of the reading electrode of the second photoelectric conversion part is electrically connected with the reading electrode of the first photoelectric conversion part through a first penetration electrode penetrating through the first photoelectric conversion part, and

wherein when the element is viewed from above, the first penetration electrode is disposed so as to be overlapped with the common penetration electrode,

the element reading method comprising:

sequentially transferring electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion region of each of the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts to the reading electrode of each of the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts in a temporally sequential manner; and

sequentially accumulating the electric charge sequentially transferred to the reading electrode of each of the first and the second photoelectric conversion parts in the electric charge accumulation part and sequentially reading the accumulated electric charge.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2023
From: MURATA, KENICHI; JOEI, MASAHIRO; KOGA, FUMIHIKO; YAGI, IWAO; HIRATA, SHINTAROU; TOGASHI, HIDEAKI; SAITO, YOSUKE; TAKAHASHI, SHINGO
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION; SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065913/0730 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-140152 · Jul 26, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17261221
Related Publication 20240145517A1 · May 2, 2024
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