Long-wave infrared sensor and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504329-B2
Application number	US-202318215477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Oct 7, 2022
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a long-wave infrared sensor and an electronic device including the same. The long-wave infrared sensor and the electronic device including the same include a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, an optical absorber layer arranged on the pixel array, and a drive circuit configured to drive the pixel array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels for a long-wave infrared sensor includes a lower electrode and an upper electrode which are arranged apart from each other, and a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices arranged regularly between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and electrically connected to each other in parallel, and the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are arranged apart from each other with an empty space therebetween.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pixel for a long-wave infrared sensor, the pixel comprising:
a lower electrode; an upper electrode spaced apart from the lower electrode; and a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and electrically connected to each other in parallel, wherein a resistance of each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices changes according to temperature, and wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are spaced apart from each other with an empty space between adjacent magnetic tunnel junction devices of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices.

2 . The pixel of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices comprises:
a first magnetic layer provided on an upper surface of the lower electrode; a second magnetic layer provided on a lower surface of the upper electrode; and an insulating layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

3 . The pixel of claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer around a lateral surface of each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices.

4 . The pixel of claim 3 , wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of a silicon oxide, an aluminum oxide, a hafnium oxide, and a silicon nitride.

5 . The pixel of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the protective layer is greater than about 0 nm and less than or equal to about 100 nm.

6 . The pixel of claim 2 , wherein the second magnetic layer has a variable magnetization direction, and
wherein the first magnetic layer has a fixed magnetization direction.

7 . The pixel of claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode comprises at least one of a titanium nitride film (TiN), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), a nickel-chrome (NiCr) alloy, copper (Cu), and gold (Au).

8 . The pixel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are arranged in a matrix of M×N, and each of M and N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

9 . The pixel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode in a first direction, and
wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are arranged adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicularly to the first direction.

10 . A long-wave infrared sensor comprising:
a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional (2D) manner; an optical absorber layer provided on the pixel array and configured to absorb external light to generate heat; and a drive circuit configured to drive the pixel array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a lower electrode;
an upper electrode spaced apart from the lower electrode; and
a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode,
wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are electrically connected to each other in parallel,
wherein a resistance of each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices changes according to temperature, and
wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are spaced apart from each other with an empty space between adjacent magnetic tunnel junction devices of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices.

11 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of pixels are electrically connected to each other in series.

12 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , further comprising a substrate having a through hole formed therein,
wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged on the substrate.

13 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein the optical absorber layer comprises at least one of a silicon nitride layer and a titanium nitride layer.

14 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein the optical absorber layer is configured to absorb long-wave infrared light to generate heat.

15 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices comprises:
a first magnetic layer provided on an upper surface of the lower electrode; a second magnetic layer provided on a lower surface of the upper electrode; and an insulating layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

16 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , further comprising a protective layer around a lateral surface of each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices.

17 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 16 , wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of a silicon oxide, an aluminum oxide, a hafnium oxide, and a silicon nitride.

18 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the protective layer is greater than about 0 nm and less than or equal to about 100 nm.

19 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 15 , wherein the second magnetic layer has a variable magnetization direction, and
wherein the first magnetic layer has a fixed magnetization direction.

20 . The long-wave infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are arranged in a matrix of M×N, and each of M and Nis a natural number greater than or equal to 1.

21 . An electronic device comprising:
a long-wave infrared sensor; and a processor configured to receive and process sensing signals output from the long-wave infrared sensor, wherein the long-wave infrared sensor comprises: a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional (2D) manner; an optical absorber layer provided on the pixel array and configured to absorb external light to generate heat; and a drive circuit configured to drive the pixel array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a lower electrode;
an upper electrode spaced apart from the lower electrode; and
a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices provided between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and electrically connected to each other in parallel,
wherein a resistance of each of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices changes according to temperature, and wherein the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices are spaced apart from each other with an empty space between adjacent magnetic tunnel junction devices of the plurality of magnetic tunnel junction devices.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jinmyoung
• Rhee Choongho
• Song Byonggwon
• Yoon Yongseop
• Kim Jaekwan
• You Jangwoo
• Lee Byungkyu

Classifications

• G01J2005/202

  Arrays · CPC title

• H10B61/00

  Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices · CPC title

• H10N50/10

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title

• G01J5/024

  Special manufacturing steps or sacrificial layers or layer structures · CPC title

• G01J5/22 Primary

  Electrical features thereof · CPC title