Abstract: According to one embodiment, an infrared imaging device includes a substrate, an infrared absorption unit, a thermoelectric conversion unit, a support body, and an interconnection. The infrared absorption unit is provided on the substrate and apart from the substrate to absorb an infrared ray. The thermoelectric conversion unit is provided apart from the substrate and in contact with the infrared absorption unit between the infrared absorption unit and the substrate. The thermoelectric conversion unit converts a temperature change due to the infrared ray absorbed by the infrared absorption unit into an electrical signal. The support body supports the thermoelectric conversion unit on the substrate and apart from the substrate and transmits the electrical signal. The interconnection transmits the electrical signal in reading the electrical signal. The infrared absorption unit includes a protrusion provided on a rim of the infrared absorption unit to protrude toward the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optoelectronic device, comprising: a substrate made of a first material; a region in the substrate, the region being made of a second material different from the first material; and a photo diode formed in the region by ion implantation. The second material for example is silicon germanium (Si1-xGex) or silicon carbide (Si1-yCy), wherein 0<x,y<1.

Abstract: A unit pixel capable of achieving full initialization of a floating diffusion area, a pixel array including the unit pixel, and a photodetecting device including the pixel array. The unit pixel includes a photodetector, a transmission transistor for transmitting charges generated from the photodetector to a floating diffusion area, a reset transistor for initializing the floating diffusion area, and a boosting capacitor having a first terminal connected to the floating diffusion area and a second terminal to which a boosting voltage is applied.

Abstract: An avalanche photodiode semiconductor device (20) for converting an impinging photon (22) includes a base n+ doped material layer (52) formed having a window section (72) for passing the photon (22). An n? doped material layer (30) is formed on the n+ doped material layer (52) having a portion of a lower surface (74) suitably exposed. An n+ doped material layer (32) is formed on the n? doped material (30). A p+ layer (24) formed on top of the n+ doped layer (32). At least one guard ring (26) is formed in the n? doped layer (30).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup element, including: a semiconductor layer in which a photodiode for carrying out photoelectric conversion is formed; a first film containing negative fixed charges and formed on the semiconductor layer in a region in which at least the photodiode is formed by utilizing either an atomic layer deposition method or a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method; a second film containing the negative fixed charges and formed on the first film containing therein the negative fixed charges by utilizing a physical vapor deposition method; and a third film containing the negative fixed charges and formed on the second film containing therein the negative fixed charges by utilizing either the atomic layer deposition method or the metal organic chemical vapor deposition method.

Abstract: A mesa photodiode which includes a mesa, the side wall of the mesa (a light-receiving region mesa) and at least a shoulder portion of the mesa in an upper face of the mesa are continuously covered with a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second conductivity type, a semi-insulating type, or an undoped type (an undoped InP layer, for example) that is grown on the side wall and the upper face of the mesa. In the semiconductor layer, a layer thickness D1 of a portion covering the side wall of the mesa is equal to or greater than 850 nm.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing photodiode device includes the following steps: providing a wafer having a substrate and an epitaxy layer, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface and the epitaxy layer formed on the first surface; forming a first conductive layer on the second surface of the substrate; forming a patterned conductive layer above the epitaxy layer; and etching the patterned conductive layer by a reactive ion etching (RIE) process performed under argon gas and helium gas.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an image sensor semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; a plurality of sensor elements formed on the front surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of sensor elements configured to receive light directed towards the back surface; and an aluminum doped feature formed in the substrate and disposed horizontally between two adjacent elements of the plurality of sensor elements and vertically between the back surface and the plurality of sensor elements.

Abstract: The invention describes a microsphere with diameter from 0.1 to 50 micrometers, made of a material selected from the group consisting of: silicon, doped silicon, SixGe1-x wherein 0?x?1, and SixH1-x wherein 0.5?x?1, that is able to work as optical microcavity with resonating Mie modes for wavelengths from 1 to 160 micrometers, and a photonic sponge based on the above mentioned microspheres, that scatter light strongly in a wide range of wavelengths, namely from 1 to 160 micrometers. The manufacturing method is based on the decomposition of gaseous precursors by heating means. These microspheres are suitable for fabricating photonic devices like, for instance, photovoltaic cells, photodiodes, lasers and sensors.

Abstract: A light-tight silicon detector. The detector utilizes a silicon substrate having a sensitive volume for the detection of ionizing radiation and a rectifying contact or electrode through which the ionizing radiation may enter. A diffused or boron-implanted p+ layer may act at the rectifying electrode. A first layer of titanium nitride is deposited on the entrance window to prevent light from being admitted to the sensitive volume and to increase the abrasion and corrosion resistance of the detector. Alternatively a titanium nitride layer may be deposited directly on the silicon substrate, said layer acting as a surface barrier or Schottky barrier rectifying contact. A layer of titanium nitride may be deposited on the backside contact wherein this titanium nitride layer serves as an ohmic contact. The second layer may be further utilized as a conductive contact for surface mount connections.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a semiconductor element capable of reducing a cost and improving a throughput with a minute structure, and further, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal television and an EL television. According to one feature of the invention, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of: forming a light absorption layer over a substrate, forming a first region over the light absorption layer by using a solution, generating heat by irradiating the light absorption layer with laser light, and forming a first film pattern by heating the first region with the heat.

Abstract: A device with increased photo-sensitivity using laser treated semiconductor as detection material is disclosed. In some embodiments, the laser treated semiconductor may be placed between and an n-type and a p-type contact or two Schottky metals. The field within the p-n junction or the Schottky metal junction may aid in depleting the laser treated semiconductor section and may be capable of separating electron hole pairs. Multiple device configurations are presented, including lateral and vertical configurations.

Abstract: In a back-illuminated solid-state imaging device, a multilayer interconnect layer, a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of color filters, and a plurality of microlenses are provided in this order. A p-type region is formed so as to partition a lower portion of the semiconductor substrate into a plurality of regions, and an insulating member illustratively made of BSG is buried immediately above the p-type region. PD regions are isolated from each other by the p-type region and the insulating member. Moreover, a high-concentration region is formed in a lower portion of the PD region, and an upper portion is served as a low-concentration region.

Abstract: An integral semiconductor device having a sequence of layers of semiconductor material. The semiconductor device may include a first region in which the sequence of layers of semiconductor material forms at least one cell of a multijunction solar cell including a metamorphic layer with a graded lattice constant. The semiconductor device may also include a second region, spaced apart from the first region, in which the sequence of layers in the second region forms a support for a bypass diode that functions to pass current when the solar cell is shaded.

Abstract: A light-receiving device includes a light-receiving part 11 that is formed in a semiconductor substrate 10 of a first conductivity type and has a first region 21 of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, and a second region 22 of the second conductivity type that is formed on at least a part of the semiconductor substrate 10 around the light-receiving part 11 with the intermediary of an isolation region 23 of the first conductivity type and is electrically independent of the first region 21. The second region 22 is fixed to a potential independent of the first region 21. An aperture 42 of an interlayer insulating film 41 formed above the light-receiving part 11 is so formed as to range from an area above the first region 21 via an area above the isolation region 23 to an area above a part of the second region 22.

Abstract: The present specification discloses front-side contact back-side illuminated (FSC-BSL) photodiode array having improved characteristics such as high speed of each photodiode, uniformity of the bias voltage applied to different photodiode, low bias voltage, reduced resistance of each photodiode, and an associated reduction in noise. The photodiode array is made of photodiodes with front metallic cathode pads, front metallic anode pad, back metallic cathode pads, n+ doped regions and a p+ doped region. The front metallic cathode pads physically contact the n+ doped regions and the front metallic anode pad physically contacts the p+ doped region. The back metallic cathode pads physically contact the n+ doped region.

Abstract: A solid-state image pick-up device is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate main body which has an element forming layer and a gettering layer provided on an upper layer thereof; photoelectric conversion elements, each of which includes a first conductive type region, provided in the element forming layer; and a dielectric film which is provided on an upper layer of the gettering layer and which induces a second conductive type region in a surface of the gettering layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor circuit in a semiconductor body and a wafer bonding method for connecting the semiconductor circuit to another substrate, in which a diode is realized in a laminar structure. The semiconductor circuit is connected to the terminals of the diode by means of that extend through the semiconductor body.

Abstract: A photodiode includes an anode (1202, 1302, 1402) and a cathode (1306, 1406) formed on a semiconductor substrate (402). A vertical electrode (702, 1314, 1414) is in operative electrical communication with a buried component (502, 1312, 1412) of the photodiode. In one implementation, the photodiode is an avalanche photodiode of a silicon photomultiplier. The substrate may also include integrated CMOS readout circuitry (1102).

Abstract: A solid state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections formed in an imaging area of a silicon substrate, and an embedded layer embedded in an isolation trench formed in at least one part of the silicon substrate located around the photoelectric conversion sections. The embedded layer is made of an isolation material having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than silicon oxide and equal to or smaller than silicon.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a detector structure, detector arrays, and a method of detecting incident radiation. The present invention comprises a photodiode array and method of manufacturing a photodiode array that provides for reduced radiation damage susceptibility, decreased affects of crosstalk, reduced dark current (current leakage) and increased flexibility in application.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a photodiode detector array is provided. The method facilitates a reduction in secondary photon emission detection by the photodiode detector array. The method includes fabricating an array of active regions, wherein the array of active regions comprises a plurality of active regions. The method also includes positioning a passivation region in optical paths between the active regions. The passivation region includes at least one of a photon-absorbing material and a trench.

Abstract: An indirect connection to and across a photodiode array. The backside contact is used as one portion which connects to a capacitor. The capacitor forms a shunt across the bulk substrate, thus shunting across the series resistance of the substrate, and reducing the series resistance.

Abstract: A photosensitive diode has an active region defining a majority carrier of a first conductivity type and a minority carrier of a second conductivity type. An extraction region is disposed on a first side of the active region and extracts minority carriers from the active region. It also has majority carriers within the extraction region flowing toward the active region in a condition of reverse bias. An exclusion region is disposed on a second side of the active region and has minority carriers within the exclusion region flowing toward the active region. It receives majority carriers from the active region. At least one of the extraction and exclusion region provides a barrier for substantially reducing flow of one of the majority carriers or the minority carriers, whichever is flowing toward the active region, while permitting flow of the other minority carriers or majority carriers flowing out of the active region.

Abstract: An image sensor using a back-illuminated photodiode and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. According to the present invention, since a surface of the back-illuminated photodiode can be stably treated, the back-illuminated photodiode can be formed to have a low dark current, a constant sensitivity of blue light for all photodiodes, and high sensitivity. In addition, it is possible to manufacture an image sensor with high density by employing a three dimensional structure in which a photodiode and a logic circuit are separately formed on different substrates.

Abstract: An imaging sensor with an array of FET pixels and method of forming the imaging sensor. Each pixel is a semiconductor island, e.g., N-type silicon on a Silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. FETs are formed in one photodiode electrode, e.g., a P-well cathode. A color filter may be attached to an opposite surface of island. A protective layer (e.g., glass or quartz) or window is fixed to the pixel array at the color filters. The image sensor may be illuminated from the backside with cell wiring above the cell. So, an optical signal passes through the protective layer is filtered by the color filters and selectively sensed by a corresponding photo-sensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a photodiode chip which has a great limit frequency and a junction from the active photodiode area of a photodiode mesa to the output pad of the high-frequency output of the photodiode chip. The aim of the invention is to further increase the bandwidth factor of photodiode chips. Said aim is achieved by establishing the connection from the photodiode mesa to the output pad by means of a high-resistance wire with impedance (Zleitung) which is spread across the length thereof and is at least as high as the load impedance (Zlast) effective at the output pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photosensor formed in a semiconductor substrate having a silicon substrate, an insulating layer formed over the silicon substrate, and a silicon semiconductor layer formed over the insulating layer, comprising an ultraviolet photosensitive element formed in the silicon semiconductor layer, and at least one visible light photosensitive element formed in the silicon substrate.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a readout circuitry, a first substrate, a first interlayer dielectric, a metal interconnection, a top metal, and an image sensing device. The readout circuitry is formed on and/or over the first substrate and the first interlayer dielectric is formed on and/or over the first substrate. The metal interconnection is formed in the interlayer dielectric and electrically connected to the readout circuitry. The top metal is formed on and/or over the metal interconnection and the image sensing device is formed on and/or over the top metal.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to an image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. According to embodiments, an image sensor may include a first substrate having circuitry formed thereon. It may further include a photodiode bonded to the first substrate and electrically connected to the circuitry, and a contact plug at a pixel border that may be electrically connected with the circuitry and the photodiode. According to embodiments, the photodiode may include a first conductive type ion implantation region selectively provided in a crystalline semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type ion implantation region in contact with one side surface of the first conductive type ion implantation region.

Abstract: An image sensor includes circuitry, a metal interconnection, a first substrate, a metal ion-implanted insulating layer, and a photodiode. The circuitry is formed on and/or over the first substrate, and the metal ion-implanted insulating layer is formed on and/or over the metal interconnection. The photodiode is formed in a crystalline semiconductor layer over the metal ion-implanted insulating layer.

Abstract: A pinned photodiode, which is a double pinned photodiode having increased electron capacitance, and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The invention provides a pinned photodiode structure comprising a substrate base over which is a first layer of semiconductor material. There is a base layer of a first conductivity type, wherein the base layer of a first conductivity type is the substrate base or is a doped layer over the substrate base. At least one doped region of a second conductivity type is below the surface of said first layer, and extends to form a first junction with the base layer. A doped surface layer of a first conductivity type is over the at least one region of a second conductivity type and forms a second junction with said at least one region of a second conductivity type.

Abstract: An image sensor and fabricating method thereof may include a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of photodiodes formed on and/or over the semiconductor substrate, a first insulating layer formed on and/or over the semiconductor substrate including the plurality of photodiodes, at least one metal line formed on and/or over the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer having a plurality of wells formed on and/or over the plurality of photodiodes, a plurality of color filters formed by embedding color filter layers in a plurality of the wells, and a plurality of microlenses formed on and/or over the color filters.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a first substrate, a lower metal line, a circuitry, a first insulating layer, a crystalline semiconductor layer, a photodiode, and a contact line. The lower metal line and the circuitry are formed on and/or over the first substrate and the first insulating layer is formed on and/or over the lower metal line. The crystalline semiconductor layer contacts the first insulating layer and is bonded to the first substrate. The photodiode is formed in the crystalline semiconductor layer. The contact line electrically connects the photodiode to the lower metal line.

Abstract: An image sensor includes defining an active region in a substrate by forming a device isolating layer; and then sequentially forming a photodiode and a logic unit in the active region; and then forming a first passivation layer on the photodiode and the logic unit; and then forming a trench in the first passivation layer by selectively removing a portion of the first protective layer corresponding to an uppermost surface of the photodiode; and then forming a second passivation layer buried in the trench. Forming a thick second passivation layer in the trench which spatially corresponds to the photodiode can offset dangling bonds on the surface of the substrate in a subsequent annealing process while also reducing dark current and enhance photosensitivity of the photodiode.

Abstract: A method for forming the passivation layer for silicon-isolation interface between photosensitive regions of an image sensor, the method includes providing a substrate having a plurality of spaced apart photosensitive regions that collect charge in response to incident light; etching trenches in the substrate between the photosensitive regions; forming a plurality of masks over the photosensitive regions so that trenches between the photosensitive regions are not covered by the masks; implanting the image sensor with a first low dose to passivate the trenches; filling the trenches with a dielectric to form isolation between the photosensitive regions; forming a plurality of masks which cover the photosensitive regions but does not cover a surface corner of the isolation trench to permit passivation implantation at the surface corner of the trench isolation; and implanting the image sensor at a second low dose to passivate the surface corner of trenched isolation region.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device having a light sensing section that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light includes: an insulating layer formed on a light receiving surface of the light sensing section; a layer having negative electric charges formed on the insulating layer; and a hole accumulation layer formed on the light receiving surface of the light sensing section.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device includes: a plurality of sensor sections formed in a semiconductor substrate in order to convert incident light into an electric signal; a peripheral circuit section formed in the semiconductor substrate so as to be positioned beside the sensor sections; and a layer having negative fixed electric charges that is formed on a light incidence side of the sensor sections in order to form a hole accumulation layer on light receiving surfaces of the sensor sections.

Abstract: Provided are embodiments of an image sensor. The image sensor can comprise a first substrate including a transistor circuit, a lower interconnection layer, an upper interconnection layer, and a second substrate including a vertical stacked photodiode. The lower interconnection layer is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a lower interconnection connected to the transistor circuit. The upper interconnection layer is disposed on the lower interconnection layer and comprises an upper interconnection connected with the lower interconnection. The vertical stacked photodiode can be disposed on the upper interconnection layer and connected with the upper interconnection through, for example, a single plug connecting a blue, green, and red photodiode of the vertical stack or a corresponding plug for each of the blue, green, and red photodiode of the vertical stack.

Abstract: A photodiode for detection of preferably infrared radiation wherein photons are absorbed in one region and detected in another. In one example embodiment, an absorbing P region is abutted with an N region of lower doping such that the depletion region is substantially (preferably completely) confined to the N region. The N region is also chosen with a larger bandgap than the P region, with compositional grading of a region of the N region near the P region. This compositional grading mitigates the barrier between the respective bandgaps. Under reverse bias, the barrier is substantially reduced or disappears, allowing charge carriers to move from the absorbing P region into the N region (and beyond) where they are detected. The N region bandgap is chosen to be large enough that the dark current is limited by thermal generation from the field-free p-type absorbing volume, and also large enough to eliminate tunnel currents in the wide gap region of the diode.

Abstract: Provided is an image sensor and method for manufacturing the same. In the image sensor, a first substrate has a lower metal line and a circuitry thereon. A crystalline semiconductor layer contacts the lower metal line and is bonded to the first substrate. A photodiode is provided in the crystalline semiconductor layer and electrically connected with the lower metal line. A light shielding layer is formed in regions of the photodiode.

Abstract: Provided are an image sensor and a manufacturing method thereof. The image sensor can include a first epitaxial layer with a first ion implantation layer, a second epitaxial layer with a second ion implantation layer, and a third epitaxial layer with a third ion implantation layer on a substrate. The first, second, and third ion implantation layers can provide a red, green, and blue photodiode, respectively. A trench can be formed in the third epitaxial layer on the third ion implantation layer to remove the damaged surface of the third epitaxial layer.

Abstract: Back-illuminated, thin photodiode arrays with trench isolation. The trenches are formed on one or both sides of a substrate, and after doping the sides of the trenches, are filled to provide electrical isolation between adjacent photodiodes. Various embodiments of the photodiode arrays and methods of forming such arrays are disclosed.

Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor includes a photodiode, formed below the top surface of a semiconductor substrate, for receiving light illuminated from the backside of the semiconductor substrate to generate photoelectric charges, a reflecting gate, formed on the photodiode over the front upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, for reflecting light illuminated from the backside of the substrate and receiving a bias to control a depletion region of the photodiode, and a transfer gate for transferring photoelectric charges from the photodiode to a sensing node of a pixel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor detector, in particular a pnCCD detector, for radiation detection, including a guard ring (12, 14) and a readout anode (3, 4) arranged inside the guard ring (12, 14) for reading out radiation-generated signal charge carriers (e?), and also including a clearing contact (9) arranged outside the guard ring (12, 14) for removing the collected signal charge carriers (e?) from the readout anode (3, 4). According to the invention, the semiconductor detector furthermore includes a gap (15, 16) in the guard ring (12, 14) and also a controllable gate (17, 18) which is arranged over the gap (15, 16) in the guard ring (12, 14) and makes the gap (15, 16) in the guard ring (12, 14) permeable or impermeable to the signal charge carriers (e?) to be removed, depending on an electrical actuation of the gate (17, 18).

Abstract: Methods and associated structures of forming microelectronic devices are described. Those methods may include method of forming a layered nanotube structure comprising a wetting layer disposed on a nanotube, a Shottky layer disposed on the wetting layer, a barrier layer disposed on the Shottky layer, and a matrix layer disposed on the barrier layer.

Abstract: A component comprising a semiconductor junction (HU) is proposed which is formed from crystalline doped semiconductor layers. A semiconductor circuit (IC) is formed on the surface of the component, and a diode is formed internally and directly below the circuit. Integrated circuit and diode are connected to one another and formed and integrated diode component, in particular a photodiode array.

Abstract: An avalanche photodiode detector is provided. The avalanche photodiode detector comprises an absorber region having an absorption layer for receiving incident photons and generating charged carriers; and a multiplier region having a multiplication layer; wherein the multiplier region is on a mesa structure separate from the absorber region and is coupled to the absorber region by a bridge for transferring charged carriers between the absorber region and multiplier region.

Abstract: Provided are a high-quality CMOS image sensor and a photo diode, which can be fabricated in sub-90 nm regime using nanoscale CMOS technology. The photo diode includes: a p-type well; an internal n-type region formed under a surface of the p-type well; and a surface p-type region including a highly doped p-type SiGeC epitaxial layer or a polysilicon layer deposited on a top surface of the p-type well over the internal n-type region. The image sensor includes: a photo diode including an internal n-type region and a surface p-type region; a transfer transistor for transmitting photo-charges generated in the photo diode to a floating diffusion node; and a driving transistor for amplifying a variation in an electric potential of the floating diffusion node due to the photo-charges. The image sensor further includes a floating metal layer for functioning as the floating diffusion node and applying an electric potential from a drain of the transfer transistor to a gate of the driving transistor.