Patents by Inventor AKIO NAKAJUN

AKIO NAKAJUN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12057460
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a microlens located closer to the first surface than to the second surface; and a first photoelectric converter located between the first surface and the microlens. The first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges. The first photoelectric converter is the closest of any photoelectric converter existing between the first surface and the microlens to the first surface. The imaging device includes no photodiode as a photoelectric converter, and a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Nakajun, Shota Yamada
  • Publication number: 20240186343
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; an effective pixel region including an effective pixel; a non-effective pixel region that is located around the effective pixel region and that does not include the effective pixel; a photoelectric converter that is located above the semiconductor substrate and that includes a first portion located in the effective pixel region and a second portion located in the non-effective pixel region; a light-shielding film that is located above the second portion of the photoelectric converter and that contains titanium or tantalum; and a functional film that is located on the light-shielding film and that is in contact with the light-shielding film. The functional film has a thickness less than a thickness of the light-shielding film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: JUNJI HIRASE, AKIO NAKAJUN, YUUKO TOMEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20230215882
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a counter electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer that converts light into a signal charge, a plurality of sets of electrodes each of which collects the signal charge, each of the plurality of sets including a first electrode included in a high-sensitivity pixel and a second electrode included in a low-sensitivity pixel, and an auxiliary electrode which is located, as seen in plan view, between the first electrode and the second electrode in each of the plurality of sets and which is commonly included in the high-sensitivity pixel and the low-sensitivity pixel. The distance between the first electrode and the auxiliary electrode is different from the distance between the second electrode and the auxiliary electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: HIDENARI KANEHARA, YOSHIHIRO SATO, TAKAYOSHI YAMADA, AKIO NAKAJUN
  • Publication number: 20230170358
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a microlens located closer to the first surface than to the second surface; and a first photoelectric converter located between the first surface and the microlens. The first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges. The first photoelectric converter is the closest of any photoelectric converter existing between the first surface and the microlens to the first surface. The imaging device includes no photodiode as a photoelectric converter, and a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Akio NAKAJUN, Shota YAMADA
  • Patent number: 11594562
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate having a first and second surface opposite to the first surface; a microlens located closer to the first surface than the second surface; a first photoelectric converter located between the first surface and the microlens, where the first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges; and a signal detecting section located in the semiconductor substrate, the signal detecting section being configured to output a signal corresponding to the electric charges. The first photoelectric converter is the closest of any photoelectric converter existing between the first surface and the microlens to the first surface, and a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer and above the signal detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Nakajun, Shota Yamada
  • Publication number: 20230009806
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a photoelectric converter and a microlens. The microlens is provided above the photoelectric conversion layer. In a cross-section of the imaging device, an upper surface of the microlens forms a contour line in which a first curve projecting upward is connected to a second curve projecting downward at a first inflection point located between the first curve and the second curve. In this cross-section, a curvature radius of the second curve at a lower end of the second curve is larger than a distance in a thickness direction of the microlens from an upper end of the first curve to the first inflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: AKIO NAKAJUN, SOGO OTA
  • Patent number: 11233209
    Abstract: An imaging device including a semiconductor substrate having a pixel region where pixels are arranged and a peripheral region adjacent to the pixel region; an insulating layer that covers the pixel region and the peripheral region; a first electrode that is located on the insulating layer above the pixel region; a photoelectric conversion layer that covers the first electrode; and a first layer that covers the photoelectric conversion layer, the first layer being located above the pixel region and the peripheral region. The thickness of the first layer above the peripheral region is larger than a thickness of the first layer above the pixel region, and a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the peripheral region is higher than a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the pixel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Isono, Akio Nakajun
  • Publication number: 20210327935
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, and a peripheral region that surrounds the pixel region; a resin layer including a first side surface having a first curved surface, and a second side surface located away from the pixel region further than the first side surface, the resin layer being located on the peripheral region; a sealing layer which overlaps with the pixel region and the periphery region in a plan view, and seals the plurality of pixels; and a first light shielding layer which is located between the resin layer and the sealing layer, and overlaps with at least part of the first curved surface in the plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: AKIO NAKAJUN, HIDEYUKI ODAHARA, MANABU TSUNODA
  • Publication number: 20210043666
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate having a first and second surface opposite to the first surface; a microlens located closer to the first surface than the second surface; a first photoelectric converter located between the first surface and the microlens, where the first photoelectric converter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges; and a signal detecting section located in the semiconductor substrate, the signal detecting section being configured to output a signal corresponding to the electric charges. The first photoelectric converter is the closest of any photoelectric converter existing between the first surface and the microlens to the first surface, and a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer and above the signal detecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Akio NAKAJUN, Shota YAMADA
  • Patent number: 10879284
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel, the pixel including a photoelectric converter which converts light into a signal charge and a charge detection circuit which detects the signal charge. The photoelectric converter includes a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a pixel electrode on the first surface, a first electrode adjacent to the pixel electrode on the first surface, the first electrode being electrically conductive to the photoelectric conversion layer, and a counter electrode on the second surface, the counter electrode facing the pixel electrode and the first electrode. A shortest distance between the pixel electrode and the first electrode in a plan view is smaller than a shortest distance between the pixel electrode and the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Nakajun, Sanshiro Shishido, Shunsuke Isono
  • Patent number: 10847555
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface; a microlens located above the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and one or more photoelectric converters located between the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and the microlens, each of the one or more photoelectric converters including a first electrode, a second electrode located closer to the microlens than the first electrode is, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges, wherein a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer of a first photoelectric converter, the first photoelectric converter being located closest to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate among the one or more photoelectric converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Nakajun, Shota Yamada
  • Publication number: 20200358016
    Abstract: An imaging device including a semiconductor substrate having a pixel region where pixels are arranged and a peripheral region adjacent to the pixel region; an insulating layer that covers the pixel region and the peripheral region; a first electrode that is located on the insulating layer above the pixel region; a photoelectric conversion layer that covers the first electrode; and a first layer that covers the photoelectric conversion layer, the first layer being located above the pixel region and the peripheral region. The thickness of the first layer above the peripheral region is larger than a thickness of the first layer above the pixel region, and a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the peripheral region is higher than a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the pixel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Shunsuke Isono, Akio Nakajun
  • Patent number: 10756281
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a pixel region where pixels are arranged and a peripheral region adjacent to the pixel region; an insulating layer that covers the pixel region and the peripheral region; a first electrode that is located on the insulating layer above the pixel region; a photoelectric conversion layer that covers the first electrode; a second electrode that covers the photoelectric conversion layer; and a first layer that covers the second electrode, the first layer being located above the pixel region and the peripheral region. A thickness of the first layer above the peripheral region is larger than a thickness of the first layer above the pixel region. A level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the peripheral region is higher than a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the pixel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Isono, Akio Nakajun
  • Publication number: 20190237691
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a pixel region where pixels are arranged and a peripheral region adjacent to the pixel region; an insulating layer that covers the pixel region and the peripheral region; a first electrode that is located on the insulating layer above the pixel region; a photoelectric conversion layer that covers the first electrode; a second electrode that covers the photoelectric conversion layer; and a first layer that covers the second electrode, the first layer being located above the pixel region and the peripheral region. A thickness of the first layer above the peripheral region is larger than a thickness of the first layer above the pixel region. A level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the peripheral region is higher than a level of an uppermost surface of the first layer above the pixel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: SHUNSUKE ISONO, AKIO NAKAJUN
  • Publication number: 20190115378
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface; a microlens located above the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and one or more photoelectric converters located between the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and the microlens, each of the one or more photoelectric converters including a first electrode, a second electrode located closer to the microlens than the first electrode is, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and that converts light into electric charges, wherein a focal point of the microlens is located below a lowermost surface of the photoelectric conversion layer of a first photoelectric converter, the first photoelectric converter being located closest to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate among the one or more photoelectric converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: AKIO NAKAJUN, SHOTA YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20180350862
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel, the pixel including a photoelectric converter which converts light into a signal charge and a charge detection circuit which detects the signal charge. The photoelectric converter includes a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a pixel electrode on the first surface, a first electrode adjacent to the pixel electrode on the first surface, the first electrode being electrically conductive to the photoelectric conversion layer, and a counter electrode on the second surface, the counter electrode facing the pixel electrode and the first electrode. A shortest distance between the pixel electrode and the first electrode in a plan view is smaller than a shortest distance between the pixel electrode and the first electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: AKIO NAKAJUN, SANSHIRO SHISHIDO, SHUNSUKE ISONO