Image sensor and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9401382-B2
Application number	US-201414529340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Provided are an image sensor and a method of manufacturing method of manufacturing the image sensor. The image sensor includes a substrate, photoelectric transducers and switching elements formed in layers on the substrate in this order. Each of the photoelectric transducers includes a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer. Each of the switching elements includes an amorphous oxide semiconductor layer. The image sensor further includes a blocking layer arranged between the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers of the photoelectric transducers and the amorphous oxide semiconductor layers of the switching elements, where the blocking layer suppresses penetration of hydrogen separated from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising:
a substrate;
photoelectric transducers and switching elements formed in layers on the substrate in this order, each of the photoelectric transducers including a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, each of the switching elements including an amorphous oxide semiconductor layer; and
a blocking layer arranged between the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers of the photoelectric transducers and the amorphous oxide semiconductor layers of the switching elements, the blocking layer suppressing penetration of hydrogen separated from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers,
wherein the blocking layer includes a film made of SiC, and
the photoelectric transducers receive light traveling toward a top of the substrate, the top of the substrate being a side where the photoelectric transducers are formed, and
the blocking layer has a laminated structure in which the film made of SiC is sandwiched by SiN films.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the blocking layer is arranged between the photoelectric transducers and the switching elements.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
each of the photoelectric transducers includes a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide layer laminated on a top of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, the hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide layer functioning as the blocking layer.

4. The image sensor of claim 3 , wherein
each of the photoelectric transducers further includes a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide layer laminated on a bottom of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer.

5. The image sensor of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in matrix, wherein
the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers of the photoelectric transducers form a layer being continuous over the plurality of pixels, and
in each of the plurality of pixels, the hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide layer on the top of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer and an upper electrode of the photoelectric transducer are isolated from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide layers on the top of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers and upper electrodes of the photoelectric transducers in the other pixels.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a phosphor layer on a bottom surface of the substrate or over the switching elements, the bottom surface being an opposite surface of the substrate to a surface at a side where the photoelectric transducers are formed,
wherein the image sensor is an image sensor for a radiographic imaging apparatus.

7. An image sensor comprising:
a substrate;
photoelectric transducers and switching elements formed in layers on the substrate in this order, each of the photoelectric transducers including a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, each of the switching elements including an amorphous oxide semiconductor layer;
a blocking layer arranged between the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers of the photoelectric transducers and the amorphous oxide semiconductor layers of the switching elements, the blocking layer suppressing penetration of hydrogen separated from the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers; and
a phosphor layer on a bottom surface of the substrate or over the switching elements, the bottom surface being an opposite surface of the substrate to a surface at a side where the photoelectric transducers are formed, wherein:
the blocking layer is arranged between the photoelectric transducers and the switching elements,
the blocking layer includes a film made of
the photoelectric transducers receive light traveling toward a top of the substrate, the top of the substrate being a side where the photoelectric transducers are formed,
the blocking layer has a laminated structure in which the film made of SiC is sandwiched by SiN films, and
the image sensor is an image sensor for a radiographic imaging apparatus.

Assignees

• Nlt Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Sekine Hiroyuki
• Ishino Takayuki
• Ukita Toru
• Tamura Fuminori
• Takechi Kazushige

Classifications

• H10D99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10D86/423

  comprising semiconductor materials not belonging to the Group IV, e.g. InGaZnO · CPC title

• H10D86/60

  wherein the TFTs are in active matrices · CPC title

• H10D30/6756

  Amorphous oxide semiconductors · CPC title

• H10D30/6704

  having supplementary regions or layers in the thin films or in the insulated bulk substrates for controlling properties of the device · CPC title