Array-type light-receiving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9276145-B2
Application number	US-201514703537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 8, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An array-type light-receiving device includes a semiconductor substrate having a cleavage direction; a light-receiving surface disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged on the light-receiving surface in a first array direction and a second array direction, each of the pixels including a staked semiconductor layer including an optical absorption layer. The first and second array directions are tilted relative to the cleavage direction of the semiconductor substrate at a predetermined angle α, as viewed from above the light-receiving surface. In addition, the first and second array directions and the cleavage direction extend along the light-receiving surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An array-type light-receiving device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a cleavage direction;
a light-receiving surface disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and
a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged on the light-receiving surface in a first array direction and a second array direction, each of the pixels including a stacked semiconductor layer including an optical absorption layer, wherein
the first and second array directions are tilted relative to the cleavage direction of the semiconductor substrate at a predetermined angle α as viewed from above the light-receiving surface, the angle α being formed by a reference direction and the cleavage direction and satisfying the relational expression:
L 2/ L 1≦tan(α)≦ L 1/ L 2,

in which the reference direction is the first array direction or the second array direction, L 1 represents a length of one side of each of the plurality of pixels in the reference direction, L 2 represents a distance L 2 between adjacent pixels of the plurality of pixels in the reference direction, and tan(α) represents a tangent of the angle α, and
the first and second array directions and the cleavage direction extend along the light-receiving surface.

2. The array-type light-receiving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of mesa portions disposed on the substrate, wherein
each of the mesa portions includes the stacked semiconductor layer,
each of the pixels is defined by a corresponding one of the plurality of mesa portions, and
each of the pixels is separated from other pixels by a groove disposed between the mesa portions.

3. The array-type light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein
the semiconductor substrate is composed of InP, and
the optical absorption layer includes one of an InGaAs/GaAsSb multi quantum well structure and a GaInNAs/GaAsSb multi quantum well structure.

4. The array-type light-receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein
the substrate is composed of GaSb, and
the optical absorption layer includes one of an InAs/GaSb multi quantum well structure and an InAsSb/InGaSb multi quantum well structure.

5. The array-type light-receiving device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a selective diffusion mask disposed on a top surface of the stacked semiconductor layer, the selective diffusion mask including a plurality of openings; and
a plurality of selective diffusion regions extending from the top surface of the stacked semiconductor layer toward the optical absorption layer, wherein
the selective diffusion regions include a p-type impurity diffused from the top surface of the stacked semiconductor layer through the openings of the selective diffusion mask, and
each of the pixels is defined by a corresponding one of the plurality of selective diffusion regions.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Iguchi Yasuhiro

Classifications

• H10F77/1248

  having three or more elements, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs or InGaAsP · CPC title

• H10F39/1825

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

• H10F39/807

  Pixel isolation structures · CPC title

• H10F39/107 Primary

  having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays · CPC title

• H10F39/021

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