IP Library Granted Patent US 12,408,455
Granted Patent B2
US 12,408,455 · App. 18/204,596 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Imaging element, stacked imaging element, and solid-state imaging apparatus

Inventors: Taiichiro Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP); Fumihiko Koga (Kanagawa, JP); Kyosuke Ito (Kanagawa, JP); Hideaki Togashi (Kanagawa, JP); Yusaku Sugimori (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
H10F39/8057H04N25/77H10F39/8053
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 12,408,455
App. No.
18/204,596
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging element includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a first electrode 11 , a photoelectric conversion layer 13 , and a second electrode 12 that are stacked, in which the photoelectric conversion unit further includes a charge storage electrode 14 arranged apart from the first electrode 11 and arranged to face the photoelectric conversion layer 13 through an insulating layer 82 , and when photoelectric conversion occurs in the photoelectric conversion layer 13 after light enters the photoelectric conversion layer 13 , an absolute value of a potential applied to a part 13 C of the photoelectric conversion layer 13 facing the charge storage electrode 14 is a value larger than an absolute value of a potential applied to a region 13 B of the photoelectric conversion layer 13 positioned between the imaging element and an adjacent imaging element.

Claims (19)

1. A light detecting element, comprising:

a photoelectric conversion unit comprising a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode, wherein

the photoelectric conversion layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the photoelectric conversion unit further comprises a charge storage electrode arranged apart from the first electrode and arranged to face the photoelectric conversion layer through an insulating layer, and

an absolute value of a potential applied to a part of the photoelectric conversion layer facing the charge storage electrode is a value larger than an absolute value of a potential applied to a region of the photoelectric conversion layer positioned between the light detecting element and an adjacent light detecting element and an absolute value of a potential applied to a part of the photoelectric conversion layer facing a region between the first electrode and the charge storage electrode is a value larger than the absolute value of the potential applied to the region of the photoelectric conversion layer positioned between the light detecting element and the adjacent light detecting element.

2. The light detecting element according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a semiconductor substrate, wherein

the photoelectric conversion unit is arranged above an upper side of the semiconductor substrate.

3. The light detecting element according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a transfer control electrode arranged between the first electrode and the charge storage electrode, arranged apart from the first electrode and the charge storage electrode, and arranged to face the photoelectric conversion layer through the insulating layer.

4. The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein

the charge storage electrode includes a plurality of charge storage electrode segments.

5. The light detecting element according to claim 1 , wherein

the size of the charge storage electrode is larger than the first electrode.

6. A stacked light detecting element comprising at least one light detecting element according to claim 1 .

7. A light detecting apparatus comprising a plurality of light detecting elements according to claim 1 .

8. A light detecting apparatus comprising a plurality of stacked light detecting elements according to claim 6 .

9. The light detecting element according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion layer comprises a lower semiconductor layer and an upper photoelectric conversion layer.

10. The light detecting element according to claim 9 , wherein the lower semiconductor layer comprises an oxide semiconductor material.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2023
From: WATANABE, TAIICHIRO; KOGA, FUMIHIKO; ITO, KYOSUKE; TOGASHI, HIDEAKI; SUGIMORI, YUSAKU
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063832/0889 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2017-121200 · Jun 21, 2017 · national
JP 2018-115847 · Jun 19, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16624205
Related Publication 20230317750A1 · Oct 5, 2023
References Cited (74)
US 8704924B2 · Watanabe et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 10468451B2 · Togashi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11348965B2 · Togashi et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11670659B2 · Watanabe · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20020125513A1 · Inoue · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20070057339A1 · Mitsui · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20090052624A1 · Mochizuki · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090289282A1 · Tsuno · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110156104A1 · Yamaguchi · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110216212A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20130093932A1 · Choo et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140022432A1 · Goto · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150048473A1 · Takahashi · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150156437A1 · Sul · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150237276A1 · Hynecek · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150349008A1 · Yamaguchi · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160035768A1 · Kawahara et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160037098A1 · Lee et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160190188A1 · Murakami · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160231600A1 · Harada · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160233351A1 · Kim · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160301882A1 · Yamashita et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170294486A1 · Yamaguchi · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180076252A1 · Togashi et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 1565059A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
CN 102110702A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 102196195A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 102215351A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
CN 102651377A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 103258829A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 104465682A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 104995734A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105448940A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106169489A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106575708A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 106847844A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP H08250698A · 1996 [cited by applicant]
JP 2000137246A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005259804A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2006210680A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007189021A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008085029A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008147409A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008166361A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008283160A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010239000A · 2010 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011138927A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011244010A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 2013161945A · 2013 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015037154A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016033979A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016063156A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016063165A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016127264A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016201449A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016225456A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017055085A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017059689A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017108101A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 20070075629A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 20160088471A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
TW 201711241A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2013088983A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2014137578A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2015016140A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016143531A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016194630A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016203667A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
Merrriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary Definition of When. No Date! [cited by examiner]
International Search Report for Application No. PCT/JP2018/023598, dated Sep. 4, 2018. [cited by applicant]
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition of “at”. [cited by applicant]
2012 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC 2012), Arnold, T, Investigation of charge carrier dynamics in silicon wafers using terahertz imaging spectroscopy, Sep. 27, 2013. 4 pa… [cited by applicant]
Acta Physica Sinica No. 10, Xu Xue-Mei, Peng Jing-Cui, Li Hong-Jian, Qu Shu, Luo Xiao-Hua, Effects of carrier mobilities on recombination efficiency in single layer organic diodes, 20. 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Master's Theses Full-text Database, Li Tianqi, Study of Pixel Photosensitive Devices on the CMOS Image Sensor, Apr. 15, 2014. 60 pages. [cited by applicant]