Light-receiving device, imaging device, and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11476285-B2
Application number	US-201716462868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A light-receiving device includes at least one pixel. The at least one pixel includes a first electrode; a second electrode; and a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The photoelectric conversion layer is configured to convert incident infrared light into electric charge. The photoelectric conversion layer has a first section and a second section. The first section is closer to the first electrode than the second section, and the second section is closer to the second electrode than the first section. At least one of the first section and the second section have a plurality of surfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light-receiving device comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each pixel including:
a first electrode;
a second electrode;
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer configured to convert incident light into electric charge, the photoelectric conversion layer having a first section and a second section, the first section being closer to the first electrode than the second section, the second section being closer to the second electrode than the first section, at least one of the first section or the second section having a plurality of surfaces;
a first-conductivity-type layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode, the first-conductivity-type layer being in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer along the second section of the photoelectric conversion layer; and

a second-conductivity-type layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode, and in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer along the first section of the photoelectric conversion layer,
wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes a compound semiconductor,
wherein the first-conductivity-type layer has a first set of four or more surfaces that each physically contact the second electrode at a location that overlaps with the photoelectric conversion layer in a plan view,
wherein the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion layer through the second electrode,
wherein each first electrode is electrically isolated from other first electrodes such that each first electrode is provided separately for each pixel, and
wherein the second electrode comprises a contiguous material that spans over the plurality of pixels such that the second electrode is provided commonly for the plurality of pixels.

2. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surfaces of comprise four or more surfaces that are angled.

3. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surfaces comprise four surfaces.

4. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein both of the first section and the second section have the plurality of surfaces, and wherein the plurality of surfaces for each section comprise four surfaces.

5. The light-receiving device according to claim 4 , wherein
the four surfaces of the first section form respective side faces of a first quadrangular pyramid that has a top on which the first electrode is located, and
the four surfaces of the second section form respective side faces of a second quadrangular pyramid that has a top on which the photoelectric conversion layer is located.

6. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second-conductivity-type layer has a second set of four or more surfaces that each physically contact the first electrode at a location that overlaps with the photoelectric conversion layer in the plan view.

7. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode includes a portion that conforms to a shape of the first section and the second electrode includes a portion that conforms to a shape of the second section.

8. The light-receiving device according to claim 7 , wherein the shape of the first section is one of a quadrangular pyramid or flat, and wherein the shape of the second section is a quadrangular pyramid.

9. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the first-conductivity-type layer and the second-conductivity-type layer each include a material that has a refractive index smaller than a refractive index of a material included in the photoelectric conversion layer.

10. The light-receiving device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first-conductivity-type layer and the second-conductivity-type layer each include indium phosphide (InP).

11. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first insulating film, wherein the photoelectric conversion layers of the plurality of pixels are separated from each other by the first insulating film.

12. The light-receiving device according to claim 11 , wherein the first insulating film has a refractive index smaller than a refractive index of each of the first-conductivity-type layer and the second-conductivity-type layer.

13. The light-receiving device according to claim 11 , further comprising a light-blocking film provided between pixels in the plurality of pixels that are adjacent to each other.

14. The light-receiving device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a second insulating film that isolates the first electrodes of the plurality of pixels from one another.

15. The light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein
the photoelectric conversion layer for a first pixel in the plurality of pixels is sized differently than the photoelectric conversion layer for a second pixel in the plurality of pixels.

16. The light-receiving device according to claim 15 , wherein the photoelectric conversion layer for the first pixel is larger than the photoelectric conversion layer for the second pixel, and wherein the first pixel detects infrared light and the second pixel detects visible light.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each pixel including:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer configured to convert incident light into electric charge, the photoelectric conversion layer having a first section and a second section, the first section being closer to the first electrode than the second section, the second section being closer to the second electrode than the first section, at least one of the first section or the second section having a plurality of surfaces;
a first-conductivity-type layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode, and in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer along the first section of the photoelectric conversion layer; and
a second-conductivity-type layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode, and in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer along the second section of the photoelectric conversion layer;

an insulating film, wherein the photoelectric conversion layers of the plurality of pixels are separated from each other by the insulating film; and
a light-blocking film provided between pixels in the plurality of pixels that are adjacent to each other,
wherein the first-conductivity-type layer and the second-conductivity-type layer each include indium phosphide (InP),
wherein the second-conductivity-type layer has a first set of four or more surfaces that each physically contact the second electrode at a location that overlaps with the photoelectric conversion layer in a plan view,
wherein the incident light enters the photoelectric conversion layer through the second electrode,
wherein each first electrode is electrically isolated from other first electrodes such that each first electrode is provided separately for each pixel, and
wherein the second electrode comprises a contiguous material that spans over the plurality of pixels such that the second electrode is provided commonly for the plurality of pixels.

18. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each pixel including:
a first electrode;
a second electrode;
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Manda Shuji
• Hirano Tomoyuki

Classifications

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• H01L27/14636

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14694

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14623

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14607 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic