Ge-based short wavelength infrared sensor, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus including ge-based short wavelength infrared sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025160008-A1
Application number	US-202418818187-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2024
Priority date	Nov 14, 2023
Publication date	May 15, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A germanium-based short wavelength infrared sensor, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic apparatus including the germanium-based short wavelength infrared sensor are provided. The short wavelength infrared sensor according to an example embodiment includes a light absorption layer provided on the substrate layer and having a higher absorption rate for a short wavelength infrared light than an absorption rate for a visible light; a light absorption enhancement layer provided on the light absorption layer to enhance a light absorption rate of the light absorption layer, the light absorption enhancement layer including a plurality of nanostructures; and an upper insulating layer covering the plurality of nanostructures and having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of each of the plurality of nanostructures, wherein the light absorption layer includes germanium (Ge).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A short wavelength infrared sensor comprising:
a substrate layer; a light absorption layer provided on the substrate layer and having a higher absorption rate for a short wavelength infrared light than an absorption rate for a visible light; a light absorption enhancement layer provided on the light absorption layer to enhance a light absorption rate of the light absorption layer, the light absorption enhancement layer including a plurality of nanostructures; and an upper insulating layer covering the plurality of nanostructures and having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of each of the plurality of nanostructures, wherein the light absorption layer comprises germanium (Ge).

2 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer comprises a channel layer, and the channel layer is in contact with the light absorption layer.

3 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 2 , wherein the substrate layer comprises a p-type substrate, an n+ back gate substrate, and a gate insulating layer,
wherein the light absorption layer faces the n+ back gate substrate with the channel layer therebetween, and the plurality of nanostructures are in contact with the light absorption layer, and the short wavelength infrared sensor further comprises a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer being separated from the light absorption layer, being in contact with the channel layer, and being spaced apart from each other.

4 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first contact prevention layer that prevents a contact between the light absorption layer and the first electrode layer; and a second contact prevention layer that prevents a contact between the light absorption layer and the second electrode layer.

5 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein the light absorption layer is provided in a straight-line shape or a curved shape.

6 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise a metal meta-pattern or a meta-pattern of a dielectric material.

7 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 4 , wherein the light absorption layer comprises a first light absorption layer and a second light absorption layer spaced apart from each other between the first contact prevention layer and the second contact prevention layer, and
wherein, among the plurality of nanostructures, nanostructures provided on the first light absorption layer and nanostructures provided on the second light absorption layer are provided to be perpendicular to each other.

8 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein, among the plurality of nanostructures, a plurality of first nanostructures are aligned to correspond to a first polarization component of incident light, and a plurality of second nanostructures are aligned to correspond to a second polarization component of the incident light.

9 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanostructures are aligned at a first pitch in a first section of the light absorption layer, and are aligned at a second pitch different from the first pitch in a second section of the light absorption layer, the second section being different from the first section.

10 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein the light absorption enhancement layer is provided between the light absorption layer and the substrate layer, and
wherein the short wavelength infrared sensor further comprises a barrier layer provided between the light absorption layer and the light absorption enhancement layer.

11 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 10 , wherein both the light absorption enhancement layer and the barrier layer are disposed on or below the light absorption layer, or disposed on or above the light absorption layer.

12 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 11 , wherein both the light absorption enhancement layer and the barrier layer are disposed on the light absorption layer, and a transparent electrode layer provided around the plurality of nanostructures is included on the barrier layer, and
wherein a height of the transparent electrode layer is less than that of each of the plurality of nanostructures.

13 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 , wherein the light absorption enhancement layer is provided between the light absorption layer and the substrate layer, and the plurality of nanostructures are in contact with the light absorption layer.

14 . The short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 10 , further comprising an anti-reflection film, a visible light blocking filter, and a micro lens provided on the light absorption layer,
wherein the light absorption enhancement layer and the barrier layer are both provided below the anti-reflection film, the visible light blocking filter, and the micro lens, and wherein the short wavelength infrared sensor further comprises a readout circuit layer provided above or below the light absorption layer.

15 . An electronic apparatus comprising the short wavelength infrared sensor of claim 1 .

16 . A method of manufacturing a short wavelength infrared sensor, the method comprising:
forming a light absorption layer having a higher absorption rate for a short wavelength infrared light than an absorption rate for a visible light, on a substrate layer; forming a plurality of metal nanostructures on the light absorption layer to enhance a light absorption rate of the light absorption layer; and forming an insulating layer covering the plurality of metal nanostructures, wherein the light absorption layer comprises germanium (Ge), and wherein the insulating layer has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of each of the plurality of metal nanostructures.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming a barrier layer between the light absorption layer and the plurality of metal nanostructures.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a transparent electrode layer around the plurality of metal nanostructures on the barrier layer.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming an anti-reflection layer, a visible light blocking filter, and a micro lens on the light absorption layer.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of metal nanostructures comprise a first metal nanostructure corresponding to a first polarization component of incident light and a second metal nanostructure corresponding to a second polarization component of the incident light.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Youngzoon
• Baik Chanwook
• Cho Kyungsang

Classifications

• H10F39/184

  Infrared image sensors · CPC title

• G01J1/0407

  Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings · CPC title

• G01J1/42 Primary

  using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) · CPC title

• H10F39/8063

  Microlenses · CPC title

• H10F39/805

  Coatings · CPC title