Distance sensor and distance image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215698-B2
Application number	US-201716322664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A range sensor includes a silicon substrate and a transfer electrode. The silicon substrate includes a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposing each other. The silicon substrate is provided with a charge generation region configured to generate a charge in response to incident light and a charge collection region configured to collect charges from the charge generation region, on the first principal surface side. The transfer electrode is disposed between the charge generation region and the charge collection region on the first principal surface. A region of the second principal surface corresponding at least to the charge generation region is formed with a plurality of protrusions. The plurality of protrusions includes a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the silicon substrate. A (111) plane of the silicon substrate is exposed as the slope at the protrusion. A height of the protrusion is 200 nm or more.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A range image sensor comprising:
a silicon substrate provided with an imaging region including a plurality of units disposed one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, wherein
each of the units is a range sensor,
the range sensor includes
a silicon substrate including a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposing each other, and provided with a charge generation region configured to generate a charge in response to incident light, a charge collection region configured to collect the charge from the charge generation region, and an unnecessary-charge collection region configured to collect an unnecessary charge from the charge generation region, on the first principal surface side,
a transfer electrode disposed between the charge generation region and the charge collection region on the first principal surface, and configured to cause the charge to flow from the charge generation region into the charge collection region in response to an inputted signal, and
an unnecessary-charge transfer electrode disposed between the charge generation region and the unnecessary-charge collection region on the first principal surface, and configured to cause the unnecessary charge to flow from the charge generation region into the unnecessary-charge collection region in response to an inputted signal,

a region of the second principal surface corresponding at least to the charge generation region is formed with a plurality of protrusions including a slope inclined with respect to a thickness direction of the silicon substrate,
a (111) plane of the silicon substrate is exposed as the slope at the protrusion,
a height of the protrusion is equal to or more than 200 nm,
the transfer electrode has an approximately ring shape and is disposed to surround the charge collection region when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first principal surface,
the charge generation region has an approximately ring shape and is disposed to surround the transfer electrode when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first principal surface,
the unnecessary-charge transfer electrode has an approximately ring shape and is disposed to surround the charge generation region when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first principal surface, and
the unnecessary-charge collection region has an approximately ring shape and is disposed to surround the unnecessary-charge transfer electrode when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first principal surface.

2. The range image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a silicon oxide film disposed on the second principal surface and configured to transmit the incident light.

3. The range image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
an aluminum oxide film disposed on the second principal surface and configured to transmit the incident light.

4. The range image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the silicon substrate includes
a first substrate region provided with the charge generation region and the charge collection region and
a second substrate region having a higher impurity concentration than the first substrate region, and provided on the second principal surface side; and
the slope of the protrusion is included in a surface of the second substrate region.

5. The range image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a film disposed on the second principal surface, configured to transmit the incident light, and containing boron.

Assignees

• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• Mase Mitsuhito
• HIRAMITSU Jun
• Shimada Akihiro

Classifications

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H10F39/12

  Image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/10

  Integrated devices · CPC title

• H10F39/802

  Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes · CPC title