Meta optical devices and methods of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11329174-B2
Application number	US-202016848165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Oct 24, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A meta optical device configured to sense incident light includes a plurality of nanorods each having a shape dimension less than a wavelength of the incident light. Each nanorod includes a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer. The meta optical device may separate and sense wavelengths of the incident light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A meta optical device configured to sense incident light, the meta optical device comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of nanorods on the substrate, each nanorod of the plurality of nanorods having a shape dimension less than a wavelength of the incident light,
wherein each nanorod of the plurality of nanorods includes a stack, in a first direction away from the substrate, of
a first conductivity type semiconductor layer,
an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and
a second conductivity type semiconductor layer,

wherein the plurality of nanorods are formed based on a silicon semiconductor, such that each of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, the intrinsic semiconductor layer, and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer includes silicon; and

a residual layer including SiO 2 and a first conductivity type dopant contained in the SiO 2 , the residual layer being between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the substrate.

2. The meta optical device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorods includes at least two nanorods having different cross-sectional widths in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The meta optical device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of nanorods includes
a plurality of first nanorods each having a first width in a cross-section in the second direction;
a plurality of second nanorods each having a second width in a cross-section in the second direction; and
a plurality of third nanorods each having a third width in a cross-section in the second direction.

4. The meta optical device of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of first nanorods are configured to condense and sense light in a red wavelength band based on a magnitude of the first width,
the plurality of second nanorods are configured to condense and sense light in a green wavelength band based on a magnitude of the second width, and
the plurality of third nanorods are configured to condense and sense light in a blue wavelength band based on a magnitude of the third width.

5. The meta optical device of claim 4 , wherein
the second width is greater than the third width, and
the first width is greater than the second width.

6. The meta optical device of claim 5 , wherein the first width, the second width, and the third width each range from about 50 nm to about 200 nm.

7. The meta optical device of claim 4 , wherein a distance between centers of two adjacent nanorods of the plurality of nanorods ranges from about 80 nm to about 500 nm.

8. The meta optical device of claim 4 , wherein in a plan view perpendicular to the first direction, a unit structure is repeated in which any one nanorod of the plurality of first nanorods, the plurality of second nanorods, and the plurality of third nanorods are repeatedly arranged at a center and vertices of a hexagon.

9. The meta optical device of claim 8 , wherein, in the unit structure, one first nanorod of the plurality of first nanorods is positioned at the center of the hexagon, and three second nanorods of the plurality of second nanorods and three third nanorods of the plurality of third nanorods are alternately arranged at six vertices of the hexagon.

10. The meta optical device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorods have a height equal to or less than about 200 nm.

11. The meta optical device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer each have a doping concentration within a range of 1×10 17 atoms/cm 3 to about 1×10 22 atoms/cm 3 .

12. The meta optical device of claim 1 , wherein
the first conductivity type semiconductor layer includes a p-type semiconductor layer, and
the second conductivity type semiconductor layer includes an n-type semiconductor layer.

13. The meta optical device of claim 12 , wherein an n-type dopant included in the second conductivity type semiconductor layer includes an element having an atomic weight equal to or greater than about 70.

14. The meta optical device of claim 13 , wherein the n-type dopant includes arsenic (As) or antimony (Sb).

15. The meta optical device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cladding layer between the plurality of nanorods and surrounding the plurality of nanorods, the cladding layer including a material having a lower refractive index than respective refractive indices of the plurality of nanorods.

16. The meta optical device of claim 15 , wherein the cladding layer includes SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , or Al 2 O 3 .

17. The meta optical device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a common electrode layer that is in contact with the second conductivity type semiconductor layers of the plurality of nanorods.

18. The meta optical device of claim 17 , wherein the substrate includes a readout circuit substrate including a plurality of transistors electrically connected to separate, respective nanorods of the plurality of nanorods.

19. An electronic device comprising the meta optical device of claim 1 .

20. A meta optical device configured to sense incident light, the meta optical device comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of nanorods on the substrate, each nanorod of the plurality of nanorods having a shape dimension less than a wavelength of the incident light,
wherein each nanorod of the plurality of nanorods includes a stack, in a first direction away from the substrate, of
a first conductivity type semiconductor layer,
an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and
a second conductivity type semiconductor layer,

wherein the substrate includes a readout circuit substrate including a plurality of transistors electrically connected to separate, respective nanorods of the plurality of nanorods;

a common electrode layer that is in contact with the second conductivity type semiconductor layers of the plurality of nanorods;
an isolation layer between the readout circuit substrate and the plurality of nanorods, the isolation layer including a material which has a lower refractive index than respective refractive indices of the plurality of nanorods; and
conductive vias penetrating the isolation layer and electrically connecting the respective nanorods of the plurality of nanorods to respective transistors of the plurality of transistors of the readout circuit substrate.

21. The meta optical device of claim 20 ,
wherein each of the conductive vias electrically connects respective transistors of the plurality of transistors of the readout circuit substrate to respective first conductivity type semiconductor layers of respective nanorods of the plurality of nanorods.

22. The meta optical device of claim 20 , further comprising:
a plurality of lower electrode layers that are in contact with lower surfaces of the first conductivity type semiconductor layers of respective nanorods of the plurality of nanorods; and
wherein each of the conductive vias electrically connects respective transistors of the plurality of transistors of the readout circuit substrate to respective lower electrode layers of the lower electrode layers.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jeongyub
• Ko Woong
• Lee Changseung
• Park Hongkyu
• Baik Chanwook
• Lee Hongseok
• Joo Wonjae

Classifications

• H10F39/18

  Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/80 Primary

  Constructional details of image sensors · CPC title

• H10F77/1223

  characterised by the dopants · CPC title

• H10F77/953

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F77/933

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title