Image sensors including nanorod pixel array, methods of manufacturing image sensors, and electronic devices including image sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12543399-B2
Application number	US-202318111375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2023
Priority date	Apr 11, 2022
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

Provided is an image sensor including a plurality of first electrode layers spaced apart from each other, a second electrode layer opposite to the plurality of first electrode layers, and a pixel layer provided between the plurality of first electrode layers and the second electrode layer, the pixel layer including a plurality of nanorod pixels, wherein a size of each nanorod pixel among the plurality of nanorod pixels is less than 1 μm, wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels include a first pixel including a compound semiconductor, and wherein the first pixel includes a first compound semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant, a second compound semiconductor layer that is undoped, and a third compound semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant different from the first dopant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image sensor comprising:
a plurality of first electrode layers spaced apart from each other; a second electrode layer opposite to the plurality of first electrode layers; and a pixel layer provided between the plurality of first electrode layers and the second electrode layer, the pixel layer comprising a plurality of nanorod pixels, wherein a size of each nanorod pixel among the plurality of nanorod pixels is less than 1 μm, wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels comprises a first pixel comprising a compound semiconductor, and wherein the first pixel comprises:
a first compound semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant;
a second compound semiconductor layer that is undoped; and
a third compound semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant different from the first dopant, and
wherein each of the plurality of first electrode layers individually contact each of the plurality of nanorod pixels.

2 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels further comprises a second pixel comprising a compound semiconductor,
wherein a size of the first pixel is different from a size of the second pixel, and wherein the second pixel comprises:
a first compound semiconductor layer doped with the first dopant;
a second compound semiconductor layer that is undoped; and
a third compound semiconductor layer doped with the second dopant different from the first dopant.

3 . The image sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels further comprises a third pixel comprising a compound semiconductor,
wherein a size of the third pixel is different from the size of the first pixel and the size of the second pixel, and wherein the third pixel comprises:
a first compound semiconductor layer doped with the first dopant;
a second compound semiconductor layer that is undoped; and
a third compound semiconductor layer doped with the second dopant different from the first dopant.

4 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels further comprises a fourth pixel comprising a non-compound semiconductor, and
wherein the fourth pixel comprises:
a first non-compound semiconductor layer doped with the first dopant;
a second non-compound semiconductor layer that is undoped; and
a third non-compound semiconductor layer doped with the second dopant different from the first dopant.

5 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first compound semiconductor layer, the second compound semiconductor layer, and the third compound semiconductor layer comprise a Group III-V compound semiconductor layer, a refractive index n of the Group III-V compound semiconductor layer being greater than 2.4 and an extinction coefficient k of the Group III-V compound semiconductor layer being less than 0.05.

6 . The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein the Group III-V compound semiconductor layer comprises one of gallium phosphide (GaP), aluminum gallium phosphide (AlGaP), gallium nitride (GaN), and indium gallium nitride (InGaN).

7 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein one of the first dopant and the second dopant comprises a p-type dopant, and the other of the first dopant and the second dopant comprises an n-type dopant.

8 . The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the p-type dopant comprises one of magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn).

9 . The image sensor of claim 7 , wherein the n-type dopant comprises one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te).

10 . The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein one of the first dopant and the second dopant comprises a p-type dopant, and the other of the first dopant and the second dopant comprises an n-type dopant.

11 . The image sensor of claim 10 , wherein the p-type dopant comprises one of magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn).

12 . The image sensor of claim 10 , wherein the n-type dopant comprises one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te).

13 . The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein the first non-compound semiconductor layer, the second non-compound semiconductor layer, and the third non-compound semiconductor layer comprise silicon.

14 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each nanorod pixel among the plurality of nanorod pixels is less than or equal to 500 nm.

15 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each nanorod pixel among the plurality of nanorod pixels is in a range of 50 nm to 500 nm.

16 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels is provided with a pitch in a range of 100 nm to 800 nm.

17 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanorod pixels form an array,
wherein the array comprises a unit array comprising a plurality of pixels, and wherein the plurality of pixels included in the unit array are provided in a quadrangle shape, a square shape, or a hexagonal shape.

18 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each nanorod pixel among the plurality of nanorod pixels has a circular column shape or a polygonal column shape.

19 . The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit unit configured to drive and control the pixel layer,
wherein the circuit unit comprises a plurality of conductive wirings respectively connected to the plurality of first electrode layers.

20 . The image sensor of claim 19 , wherein a line width of each conductive wiring among the plurality of conductive wirings is in a range of 20 nm to 150 nm.

21 . The image sensor of claim 19 , wherein each conductive wiring comprises one of ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), and aluminum (Al).

22 . A method of manufacturing an image sensor, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of vertical nanorod pixels on a first substrate; forming a first electrode layer on each of the plurality of vertical nanorod pixels; forming a conductive wiring on the first electrode layer; forming a second substrate on the conductive wiring; removing the first substrate; and forming a second conductive layer on a surface of a pixel exposed by removing the first substrate, wherein a size of each vertical nanorod pixel among the plurality of vertical nanorod pixels is less than 1 μm, and wherein the plurality of vertical nanorod pixels comprises a plurality of pixels comprising compound semiconductors.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of vertical nanorod pixels further comprises a plurality of pixels comprising non-compound semiconductors.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of pixels comprising the compound semiconductors comprise pixels having different sizes,
wherein each pixel among the plurality of pixels comprises:
a compound semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant;
an undoped compound semiconductor layer; and
a compound semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant different from the first dopant.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of pixels of comprising the non-compound semiconductors comprises pixels having different sizes,
wherein each pixel among the plurality of pixels comprising the non-compound semiconductors comprises:
a non-compound semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant;
an undoped non-compound semiconductor layer; and
a non-compound semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant d

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jeongyub
• Leem Youngchul
• Cho Eunhyoung

Classifications

• H10F39/806 Primary

  Optical elements or arrangements associated with the image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/021

  of image sensors having active layers comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaAs, AlGaAs or InP · CPC title

• H10F39/811 Primary

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10F39/026

  Wafer-level processing · CPC title

• H10F39/8063

  Microlenses · CPC title