Patents by Inventor Kentaro Maeta

Kentaro Maeta 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: 10930700
    Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate including a silicon substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a second main surface as a light incident surface and a first main surface opposing the second main surface. In the semiconductor substrate, carriers are generated in response to incident light. A plurality of protrusions is formed on the second main surface. The protrusion includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. At the protrusion, a (111) surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed as the slope. The height of the protrusion is equal to or more than 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tatsuki Kasuya, Takeshi Kawahara, Yasuhito Miyazaki, Kentaro Maeta, Hisanori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10811459
    Abstract: A back-illuminated solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a shift register, and a light-shielding film. The semiconductor substrate includes a light incident surface on the back side and a light receiving portion generating a charge in accordance with light incidence. The shift register is disposed on the side of a light-detective surface opposite to the light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film is disposed on the side of the light-detective surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film includes an uneven surface opposing the light-detective surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Yasuhito Yoneta, Hisanori Suzuki, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 10573769
    Abstract: A back-illuminated energy ray detecting element 1 includes a semiconductor substrate and a protective film. The semiconductor substrate has a first principal surface as an energy ray incident surface and a second principal surface opposite to the first principal surface, and a charge generating region configured to generate an electric charge according to incidence of an energy ray is disposed on the second principal surface side. The protective film is disposed on the second principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate to cover at least the charge generating region, and includes silicon nitride or silicon nitride oxide. The protective film has a stress alleviating section configured to alleviate stress generated in the protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuhito Miyazaki, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20200043974
    Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate including a silicon substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a second main surface as a light incident surface and a first main surface opposing the second main surface. In the semiconductor substrate, carriers are generated in response to incident light. A plurality of protrusions is formed on the second main surface. The protrusion includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. At the protrusion, a (111) surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed as the slope. The height of the protrusion is equal to or more than 200 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tatsuki Kasuya, Takeshi Kawahara, Yasuhito Miyazaki, Kentaro Maeta, Hisanori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10529772
    Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate including a silicon substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a second main surface as a light incident surface and a first main surface opposing the second main surface. In the semiconductor substrate, carriers are generated in response to incident light. A plurality of protrusions is formed on the second main surface. The protrusion includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. At the protrusion, a (111) surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed as the slope. The height of the protrusion is equal to or more than 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tatsuki Kasuya, Takeshi Kawahara, Yasuhito Miyazaki, Kentaro Maeta, Hisanori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10483302
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric converting units and a plurality of charge-accumulating units each accumulating a charge generated in the corresponding photoelectric converting unit. The photoelectric converting unit includes a photosensitive region that generates the charge in accordance with light incidence, and an electric potential gradient forming unit that accelerates migration of charge in a second direction in the photosensitive region. The charge-accumulating unit includes: a plurality of regions (semiconductor layers) having an impurity concentration gradually changed in one way in the second direction, and electrodes adapted to apply electric fields to the plurality of regions. Each of the electrodes is disposed over the plurality of regions having the impurity concentration gradually varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Yasuhito Yoneta, Hisanori Suzuki, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 10199418
    Abstract: A plurality of semiconductor photodetecting elements have a planar shape having a pair of first sides opposed to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides being shorter than the pair of first sides and opposed to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and are disposed on a base so as to be adjacent to each other in juxtaposition. A plurality of bump electrodes each are disposed on sides where the pair of first sides lie in each semiconductor photodetecting element, to electrically and mechanically connect the base to each semiconductor photodetecting element. A plurality of dummy bumps are disposed so that at least one dummy bump is disposed on each of sides where the pair of second sides lie in each semiconductor photodetecting element, to mechanically connect the base to each semiconductor photodetecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sugimoto, Hiroya Kobayashi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20190035843
    Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate including a silicon substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a second main surface as a light incident surface and a first main surface opposing the second main surface. In the semiconductor substrate, carriers are generated in response to incident light. A plurality of protrusions is formed on the second main surface. The protrusion includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate. At the protrusion, a (111) surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed as the slope. The height of the protrusion is equal to or more than 200 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tatsuki KASUYA, Takeshi KAWAHARA, Yasuhito MIYAZAKI, Kentaro MAETA, Hisanori SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20170301722
    Abstract: A back-illuminated solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a shift register, and a light-shielding film. The semiconductor substrate includes a light incident surface on the back side and a light receiving portion generating a charge in accordance with light incidence. The shift register is disposed on the side of a light-detective surface opposite to the light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film is disposed on the side of the light-detective surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film includes an uneven surface opposing the light-detective surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro TAKAGI, Kentaro MAETA, Yasuhito YONETA, Hisanori SUZUKI, Masaharu MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20170229501
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric converting units and a plurality of charge-accumulating units each accumulating a charge generated in the corresponding photoelectric converting unit. The photoelectric converting unit includes a photosensitive region that generates the charge in accordance with light incidence, and an electric potential gradient forming unit that accelerates migration of charge in a second direction in the photosensitive region. The charge-accumulating unit includes: a plurality of regions (semiconductor layers) having an impurity concentration gradually changed in one way in the second direction, and electrodes adapted to apply electric fields to the plurality of regions. Each of the electrodes is disposed over the plurality of regions having the impurity concentration gradually varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro TAKAGI, Kentaro MAETA, Yasuhito YONETA, Hisanori SUZUKI, Masaharu MURAMATSU
  • Patent number: 9609247
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a charge multiplying solid-state imaging device, and includes an imaging area 10 that generates a charge according to the amount of incident light, an output register unit 20 that receives the charge from the imaging area 10, and a multiplication register unit 28 that multiplies the charge from the output register 20, and performs feed-forward control of the multiplication factor of the multiplication register unit 28 according to the charge amount from the imaging area 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9491384
    Abstract: In a solid-state imaging device 1, an overflow gate (OFG) 5 has a predetermined electric resistance value, while voltage application units 161 to 165 are electrically connected to the OFG 5 at connecting parts 171 to 175. Therefore, when voltage values V1 to V5 applied to the connecting parts 171 to 175 by the voltage application units 161 to 165 are adjusted, the OFG 5 can yield higher and lower voltage values in its earlier and later stage parts, respectively. As a result, the barrier level (potential) becomes lower and higher in the earlier and later stage parts, so that all the electric charges generated in an earlier stage side region of photoelectric conversion units 2 can be caused to flow out to an overflow drain (OFD) 4, whereby only the electric charges generated in a later stage side region of the photoelectric conversion units 2 can be TDI-transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9305969
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device 1A includes a CCD-type solid-state imaging element 10 having an imaging plane 12 formed of M×N pixels that are two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns, N signal readout circuits 20 arranged on one end side in the column direction for each of the columns with respect to the imaging plane 12, and N signal readout circuits 30 arranged on the other end side in the column direction for each of the columns with respect to the imaging plane 12, a semiconductor element 50 for digital-converting and then sequentially outputting as serial signals electrical signals output from the signal readout circuits 20 for each of the columns, and a semiconductor element 60 for digital-converting and then sequentially outputting as serial signals electrical signals output from the signal readout circuits 30 for each of the columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Motohiro Suyama, Akiomi Ujima, Kentaro Maeta, Hisanori Suzuki, Masaharu Muramatsu, Fumio Iwase
  • Publication number: 20150380455
    Abstract: A plurality of semiconductor photodetecting elements have a planar shape having a pair of first sides opposed to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides being shorter than the pair of first sides and opposed to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and are disposed on a base so as to be adjacent to each other in juxtaposition. A plurality of bump electrodes each are disposed on sides where the pair of first sides lie in each semiconductor photodetecting element, to electrically and mechanically connect the base to each semiconductor photodetecting element. A plurality of dummy bumps are disposed so that at least one dummy bump is disposed on each of sides where the pair of second sides lie in each semiconductor photodetecting element, to mechanically connect the base to each semiconductor photodetecting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Kenichi SUGIMOTO, Hiroya KOBAYASHI, Kentaro MAETA, Masaharu MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20150380580
    Abstract: A back-illuminated energy ray detecting element 1 includes a semiconductor substrate and a protective film. The semiconductor substrate has a first principal surface as an energy ray incident surface and a second principal surface opposite to the first principal surface, and a charge generating region configured to generate an electric charge according to incidence of an energy ray is disposed on the second principal surface side. The protective film is disposed on the second principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate to cover at least the charge generating region, and includes silicon nitride or silicon nitride oxide. The protective film has a stress alleviating section configured to alleviate stress generated in the protective film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuhito MIYAZAKI, Kentaro MAETA, Masaharu MURAMATSU
  • Patent number: 9054000
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device 2A includes a CCD-type solid-state imaging element 10 having an imaging plane 12 formed of M×N pixels that are two-dimensionally arrayed in M rows and N columns and N signal readout circuits 20 arranged on one end side in the column direction for each of the columns with respect to the plane 12 and for outputting electrical signals according to the magnitudes of charges taken out of the respective columns, respectively, a C-MOS-type semiconductor element 50 for digital-converting and sequentially outputting as serial signals electrical signals output from the circuits 20 for each of the columns, a heat transfer member 80 having a main surface 81a and a back surface 81b, and a cooling block 84 provided on the surface 81b, and the semiconductor element 50 and the surface 81a of the heat transfer member 80 are bonded to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Motohiro Suyama, Akiomi Ujima, Kentaro Maeta, Hisanori Suzuki, Masaharu Muramatsu, Fumio Iwase
  • Patent number: 9048164
    Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes a P-type semiconductor substrate 1A, a P-type epitaxial layer 1B grown on the semiconductor substrate 1A, an imaging region VR grown within the epitaxial layer 1B, and an N-type semiconductor region 1C grown within the epitaxial layer 1B. The solid state imaging device further includes a horizontal shift register HR that transmits a signal from the imaging region VR, and a P-type well region 1D formed within the epitaxial layer 1B. The N-type semiconductor region 1C extends in the well region 1D. A P-type impurity concentration in the well region 1D is higher than a P-type impurity concentration in the epitaxial layer 1B. A multiplication register EM that multiplies electrons from the horizontal shift register HR is formed in the well region 1D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8754355
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a charge multiplying solid-state imaging device, and includes an imaging area 10 that generates a charge according to the amount of incident light, a plurality of output register units 21 to 24 that receive the charge from the imaging area 10, and a plurality of multiplication register units 31 to 34 that multiply charges from the output registers 21 to 24, respectively, and the multiplication register units 31 to 34 are different in the number of multiplication stages from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8599296
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a charge multiplying solid-state imaging device, and includes an imaging area 10 that generates a charge according to the amount of incident light, an output register unit 20 that receives the charge from the imaging area 10, a multiplication register unit 40 that multiplies the charge from the output register 20, and at least one charge dispersion means 71 that disperses the charge input to the multiplication register unit 40 in a width direction perpendicular to a transfer direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8552352
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device of an embodiment includes an imaging region, an output register, a corner register, a multiplication register, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a valve gate electrode. The output register is a transfer register that receives a charge transferred from the imaging region to transfer the charge. The output register is capable of selectively transferring a charge in one direction and in the other direction opposite to the one direction. The corner register transfers a charge transferred in one direction from the output register. The multiplication register receives a charge from the corner register and generates and transfers a multiplied charge. The first amplifier generates a signal based on a multiplied charge from the multiplication register. The second amplifier generates a signal based on a charge transferred in the other direction by the output register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hisanori Suzuki, Yasuhito Yoneta, Shin-ichiro Takagi, Kentaro Maeta, Masaharu Muramatsu