IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,509,846
Granted Patent B2
US 11,509,846 · App. 16/638,879 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus for miniturization of pixels and improving light detection sensitivity

Inventors: Shinpei Fukuoka (Nagasaki, JP); Hideaki Togashi (Nagasaki, JP); Yoshihiro Ando (Nagasaki, JP); Masashi Nakata (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
H04N5/36961H01L27/286H01L27/307H04N5/3745H01L27/14647
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,509,846
App. No.
16/638,879
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a substrate having a pixel array unit sectioned into a matrix, a plurality of normal pixels, a plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and a plurality of adjacent pixels adjacent to the phase difference detection pixels, each provided in each of the plurality of sections, in which each of the normal pixel, the phase difference detection pixel, and the adjacent pixel has a photoelectric conversion film, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode that sandwich the photoelectric conversion film in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion film, and the lower electrode, in the adjacent pixel, extends from the section in which the adjacent pixel is provided to cover the section in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is provided, when viewed from above the substrate.

Claims (53)

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a substrate that comprises a pixel array unit sectioned into a matrix, wherein the pixel array unit comprises a plurality of sections;

a plurality of normal pixels, a plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and a plurality of adjacent pixels adjacent to the plurality of phase difference detection pixels, wherein

each of a normal pixel of the plurality of normal pixels, a phase difference detection pixel of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and an adjacent pixel of the plurality of adjacent pixels is in each section of the plurality of sections,

each of the normal pixel, the phase difference detection pixel, and the adjacent pixel has a photoelectric conversion film,

the photoelectric conversion film is sandwiched between an upper electrode and a lower electrode in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion film,

the lower electrode, in the normal pixel, is separate for each section of the plurality of sections in which the normal pixel is present,

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel in a central region of the pixel array unit has a rectangular shape,

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel in a peripheral region of the pixel array unit has a triangular shape, and

the lower electrode, in the adjacent pixel, extends from a section of the plurality of sections in which the adjacent pixel is present to a section of the plurality of sections in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is present, when viewed from above the substrate.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a lens unit above each section of the plurality of sections.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein

the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel extends from the section in which the adjacent pixel is present to cover beyond an optical axis of the lens unit of the section in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is present, when viewed from above the substrate.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel and the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel adjacent to the phase difference detection pixel are present at positions symmetric to each other with respect to an optical axis of the lens unit of the section in which the phase difference detection pixel is present, when viewed from above the substrate.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel has one of a rectangular shape or a triangular shape when viewed from above the substrate.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel has one of a rectangular shape or a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above the substrate.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel and the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel adjacent to the phase difference detection pixel are present at positions symmetric to each other with respect to a light incident direction in which light is incident onto the section in which the phase difference detection pixel is present, when viewed from above the substrate.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a charge storage unit electrically connected to each of the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel, the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel, and the lower electrode of the normal pixel via a capacitance, wherein a capacitance connected to the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel is greater than a capacitance connected to the lower electrode of the normal pixel.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel is divided into two,

one of the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel, the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel, or the lower electrode of the normal pixel is present to face the photoelectric conversion film via an insulating film, and

one of the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel, the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel, or the lower electrode of the normal pixel is present as a charge storage electrode that attracts a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion film.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising

an additional electrode present between the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel and the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel adjacent to the phase difference detection pixel when viewed from above the substrate.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 10 , further comprising

a voltage application part that applies a voltage to the additional electrode.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 10 , wherein

the additional electrode is present on a same plane as the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel and the lower electrode of the adjacent pixel adjacent to the phase difference detection pixel.

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising

detect a first output difference between a first phase difference detection pixel of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels and the adjacent pixel adjacent to the first phase difference detection pixel;

detect a second output difference between a second phase difference detection pixel of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels paired with the first phase difference detection pixel and the adjacent pixel adjacent to the second phase difference detection pixel; and

compare the first output difference with the second output difference to detect a phase difference.

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the plurality of normal pixels, the plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and the plurality of adjacent pixels has a stacked structure including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that is stacked,

each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements absorb light of mutually different wavelengths to generate a plurality of charges, and

at least one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements includes the photoelectric conversion film, and the upper electrode and the lower electrode to sandwich the photoelectric conversion film.

15. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 14 , wherein

at least one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements includes an organic photoelectric conversion film.

16. An electronic apparatus including a solid-state imaging device, the solid-state imaging device comprising:

a substrate that comprises a pixel array unit sectioned into a matrix, wherein the pixel array unit comprises a plurality of sections;

a plurality of normal pixels, a plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and a plurality of adjacent pixels adjacent to the plurality of phase difference detection pixels, wherein

each of a normal pixel of the plurality of normal pixels, a phase difference detection pixel of the plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and an adjacent pixel of the plurality of adjacent pixels is in each section of the plurality of sections,

each of the normal pixel, the phase difference detection pixel, and the adjacent pixel has a photoelectric conversion film,

the photoelectric conversion film is sandwiched between an upper electrode and a lower electrode in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion film,

the lower electrode, in the normal pixel, is separate for each section of the plurality of sections in which the normal pixel is present,

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel in a central region of the pixel array unit has a rectangular shape,

the lower electrode of the phase difference detection pixel in a peripheral region of the pixel array unit has a triangular shape, and

the lower electrode, in the adjacent pixel, extends from a section of the plurality of sections in which the adjacent pixel is present to a section of the plurality of sections in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is present, when viewed from above the substrate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2020
From: FUKUOKA, SHINPEI; TOGASHI, HIDEAKI; ANDO, YOSHIHIRO; NAKATA, MASASHI
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053210/0300 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-159231 · Aug 22, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200374475A1 · Nov 26, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,284,203