Imaging element and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12464829-B2
Application number	US-202117915619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

An imaging element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first electrode and a second electrode; a third electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer; and a semiconductor layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are disposed in parallel. The third electrode is disposed to be opposed to the first electrode and the second electrode. The photoelectric conversion layer is provided between the first electrode and second electrode and the third electrode. The semiconductor layer is provided between the first electrode and second electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. The semiconductor layer has a first layer and a second layer stacked therein in order from the photoelectric conversion layer side. The second layer has an energy level at a lowest edge of a conduction band that is shallower than an energy level of the first layer at a lowest edge of a conduction band.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An imaging element comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode that are disposed in parallel; a third electrode that is disposed to be opposed to the first electrode and the second electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer that is provided between the first electrode and second electrode and the third electrode; and a semiconductor layer that is provided between the first electrode and second electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer, the semiconductor layer having a first layer and a second layer stacked therein in order from the photoelectric conversion layer side, the second layer having an energy level at a lowest edge of a conduction band that is shallower than an energy level of the first layer at a lowest edge of a conduction band, wherein the first layer includes a layer therein, the layer including more carbon than another region in the first layer.

2 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising an insulating layer that is provided between the first electrode and second electrode and the semiconductor layer and has a first opening above the second electrode, wherein
the second electrode and the semiconductor layer are electrically coupled through the first opening.

3 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer between the photoelectric conversion layer and the semiconductor layer, the protective layer including an inorganic material.

4 . The imaging element according to claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor layer further includes a third layer between the protective layer and the first layer, the third layer having an energy level at a lowest edge of a conduction band that is substantially same as or shallower than the energy level of the first layer at the lowest edge of the conduction band.

5 . The imaging element according to claim 2 , wherein a side surface and a bottom surface of the first opening are covered with the second layer and at least a portion of the second layer that covers the bottom surface has a higher carrier concentration than a carrier concentration of another region.

6 . The imaging element according to claim 5 , wherein the second layer has a second opening in the first opening, the second electrode and the first layer being electrically coupled directly in the second opening.

7 . The imaging element according to claim 6 , wherein the side surface of the first opening is covered with the second layer.

8 . The imaging element according to claim 6 , wherein the first opening and the second opening have a same side surface.

9 . The imaging element according to claim 6 , wherein a side surface of the second opening is provided outside the side surface of the first opening.

10 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer includes silicon that is more than or equal to a content of silicon included in the first layer.

11 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first layer and the second layer each include gallium, and the second layer includes gallium that is more than or equal to a content of gallium included in the first layer.

12 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first layer and the second layer each include zinc, and the second layer includes zinc that is more than or equal to a content of zinc included in the first layer.

13 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer both have crystallinity.

14 . The imaging element according to claim 13 , wherein the second layer includes an amorphous layer and a crystal layer and the amorphous layer and the crystal layer are stacked in order from the first electrode and second electrode side.

15 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer both have amorphousness.

16 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first layer or the second layer has crystallinity and another of the first layer or the second layer has amorphousness.

17 . The imaging element according to claim 2 , further comprising, in the first opening, a metal film or a metal oxide film between the second electrode and the semiconductor layer or between the first layer and the second layer.

18 . The imaging element according to claim 17 , comprising a gap between the metal film and metal oxide film and a side surface of the first opening.

19 . The imaging element according to claim 17 , wherein the semiconductor layer has a region around the metal film and the metal oxide film, the region being higher than another region in carrier concentration.

20 . The imaging element according to claim 17 , wherein the metal film and the metal oxide film cover a side surface and a bottom surface of the first opening.

21 . The imaging element according to claim 17 , wherein the metal film and the metal oxide film each include a material having Gibbs energy that is less than or equal to Gibbs energy of a material included in the second layer.

22 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are each formed to include a material having Gibbs energy that is less than or equal to Gibbs energy of a material included in the second layer.

23 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and 50 nm or less.

24 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode.

25 . The imaging element according to claim 24 , wherein the fourth electrode is provided in a layer lower than the first electrode and the second electrode.

26 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a stacked structure of a layer having crystallinity and a layer having amorphousness.

27 . The imaging element according to claim 26 , wherein the layer having crystallinity and the layer having amorphousness are stacked in this order from the first electrode and second electrode side.

28 . The imaging element according to claim 27 , wherein the layer having amorphousness has an energy level at a lowest edge of a conduction band that is substantially same as or shallower than an energy level of the layer having crystallinity at a lowest edge of a conduction band.

29 . The imaging element according to claim 26 , wherein the layer having amorphousness covers an upper surface and a side surface of the layer having crystallinity.

30 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer has an end inside an end of the first layer in a plan view.

31 . The imaging element according to claim 30 , wherein the end of the second layer has an inclined surface.

32 . The imaging element according to claim 30 , wherein
the second layer further has a second opening in which the second electrode and the first layer are electrically coupled directly, and the end of the second layer and the second opening each have a round shape in a plan view.

33 . The imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising a fifth electrode around the first electrode and the second electrode in a plan view, the fifth electrode having a fixe

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp
• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Joei Masahiro
• HIRATA Shintarou
• Yukawa Tomiyuki
• Suzuki Ryosuke
• Nakano Hiroshi
• Hayashi Toshihiko
• Takaguchi Ryotaro
• Yagi Iwao
• Murata Kenichi

Classifications

• H10F39/8037

  the integrated elements comprising a transistor · CPC title

• H10F39/812

  Arrangements for transferring the charges in the image sensor perpendicular to the imaging plane, e.g. buried regions used to transfer generated charges to circuitry under the photosensitive region · CPC title

• H10F39/1825

  Multicolour image sensors having stacked structure, e.g. NPN, NPNPN or multiple quantum well [MQW] structures · CPC title

• H10F39/805

  Coatings · CPC title

• H10K39/32

  Organic image sensors · CPC title