Abstract: A semiconductor element includes: a p-type semiconductor region; an n-type light-receiving surface buried region buried in the semiconductor region; an n-type charge accumulation region buried in the semiconductor region, continuously to the light-receiving surface buried region, establishing a deeper potential well depth than the light-receiving surface buried region; a charge read-out region configured to read out the charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region; an exhaust-drain region buried in the semiconductor region, configured to extract the charges from the light-receiving surface buried region; a first potential controller configured to extract the charges from the light-receiving surface buried region to the exhaust-drain region; and a second potential controller configured to transfer the charges from the charge accumulation region to the charge read-out region.

Abstract: An electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell includes a fluorine polymer electrolyte having a sulfonic acid group, and a copolymer which includes at least an aromatic ring and a cyclic imide that is condensed or not condensed with the aromatic ring, and in which an aromatic repeating unit having a structure in which the aromatic ring and the cyclic imide are bonded together directly or by only a single atom, is linked with a siloxane repeating unit having a structure that includes a siloxane structure.

Abstract: An n-type region as a charge storage region of a photodiode is buried in a substrate. The interface between silicon and a silicon oxide film is covered with a high concentration p-layer and a lower concentration p-layer is formed only in the portion immediately below a floating electrode for signal extraction. Electrons generated by light are stored in the charge storage region, thereby changing the potential of the portion of the p-layer at the surface of the semiconductor region. The change is transmitted through a thin insulating film to the floating electrode by capacitive coupling and read out by a buffer transistor. Initialization of charges is executed by adding a positive high voltage to the gate electrode of a first transfer transistor such that the electrons stored in the charge storage region are transferred to the n+ region and generation of reset noise is protected.

Abstract: A semiconductor range-finding element encompasses a semiconductor region (1), a light receiving surface-buried region (11a), a first charge-accumulation region (12a), a first charge read-out region (13), a first potential control means (31), a second potential control means (32), a first exhausting-drain region (14) and a third potential control means (33). The signal charges dependent on a delay time of the reflected light are repeatedly transferred from the light receiving surface-buried region (11a) to the first charge-accumulation region (12a) so as to be accumulated as a first signal charge in the first charge-accumulation region (12a) in a first repetition period, all of the signal charges generated by the reflected light are repeatedly transferred from the light receiving surface-buried region (11a) to the first charge-accumulation region (12a) so as to be accumulated as a second signal charge in the first charge-accumulation region (12a) in a second repetition period.

Abstract: To transfer signal charges generated by a semiconductor photoelectric conversion element in opposite directions, the center line of a first transfer gate electrode and that of a second transfer gate electrodes are arranged on the same straight line, and a U-shaped first exhausting gate electrode and a second exhausting gate electrode are arranged to oppose to each other. The first exhausting gate electrode exhausts background charges generated by a background light in the charge generation region, and the second exhausting gate electrode exhausts background charges generated by the background light in the charge generation region. The background charges exhausted by the first exhausting gate electrode are received by a first exhausting drain region and the background charges exhausted by the second exhausting gate electrode are received by a first exhausting drain region.

Abstract: A semiconductor range-finding element and a solid-state imaging device, which can provide a smaller dark current and a removal of reset noise. With n-type buried charge-generation region, buried charge-transfer regions, buried charge read-out regions buried in a surface of p-type semiconductor layer, an insulating film covering these regions, transfer gate electrodes arranged on the insulating film for transferring the signal charges to the buried charge-transfer regions, read-out gate electrodes arranged on the insulating film for transferring the signal charges to the buried charge read-out regions, after receiving a light pulse by the buried charge-generation region, in the semiconductor layer just under the buried charge-generation region, an optical signal is converted into signal charges, and a distance from a target sample is determined by a distribution ratio of the signal charges accumulated in the buried charge-transfer regions.

Abstract: A method for growing a nitride thin film on a sapphire substrate, in which using no resists, miniaturization can be accomplished while relieving vexatious complication of the process; and a relevant device using nitride thin film. There is provided a method for growing a nitride thin film on a sapphire substrate, comprising irradiating a sapphire substrate having undergone high temperature hydrogen treatment with electron beams and depositing a nitride thin film on the substrate having undergone the electron beam irradiation by using the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique to thereby accomplish patterning of nitride thin film.

Abstract: To achieve an image sensor with low noise, small dark current and the high sensitivity, an n-type region serving as a charge storage region (2) of a photodiode is buried in a substrate (1). The interface between silicon and a silicon oxide film (4) is covered with a p-layer (3) of high concentration, and a p-layer (11) of a relatively low concentration is formed only in the portion immediately below a floating electrode (14) for signal extraction. The electrons generated by light are stored in the n-type region serving as the charge storage region (2), and the potential of the portion of the p-layer (11) at the surface of the semiconductor region is changed thereby. The change in the potential is transmitted through a thin insulating film to the floating electrode (14) in a floating state by the capacitive coupling. The change in the potential of the floating electrode (14) is read out by a buffer transistor (7).

Abstract: A lower cost range-finding image sensor based upon measurement of reflection time of light with reduced fabrication processes compared to standard CMOS manufacturing procedures. An oxide film is formed on a silicon substrate, and two photo-gate electrodes for charge-transfer are provided on the oxide film. Floating diffusion layers for taking charges out from a photodetector layer are provided at the ends of the oxide film, and on the outside thereof are provided a gate electrode for resetting and a diffusion layer for providing a reset voltage.