Photodiode and ultraviolet sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530909-B2
Application number	US-201313753993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Sep 13, 2010
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A p-type semiconductor layer containing a solid solution of NiO and ZnO as a principal component is joined to an n-type semiconductor layer containing ZnO as a principal component, and the p-type semiconductor layer contains a rare earth element R. The content of the rare earth element R is preferably 0.001 to 1 mole with respect to 100 moles of the principal component. Further, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb can be used as the rare earth element, for example. An internal electrode 4 is preferably principally composed of a composite oxide containing the rare earth element R and Ni. Thereby, photoelectric conversion efficiency can be improved, and ultraviolet light can be directly detected as a photocurrent without externally disposing a power source circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photodiode comprising a p-type semiconductor layer comprising a solid solution of NiO and ZnO as a principal component joined to an n-type semiconductor layer comprising ZnO as a principal component, wherein
the p-type semiconductor layer contains a rare earth element.

2. The photodiode according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the rare earth element is 0.001 to 1 mole with respect to 100 moles of the principal component.

3. The photodiode according to claim 2 , wherein the rare earth element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb.

4. The photodiode according to claim 3 , wherein the composition of the p-type semiconductor layer comprises 100(Ni 1-x Zn x )O+αRO 3/2 in which 0.2≦x≦0.4, α is 0.001 to 1, and R is said rare earth element.

5. The photodiode according to claim 3 , wherein R is La.

6. The photodiode according to claim 1 , wherein the rare earth element is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb.

7. An ultraviolet sensor comprising the photodiode according to claim 6 .

8. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 7 , comprising an internal electrode comprising a composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Ni is embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer.

9. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 8 , wherein the internal electrode comprises LaNiO 3 .

10. An ultraviolet sensor comprising the photodiode according to claim 5 .

11. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 10 , comprising an internal electrode comprising a composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Ni is embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer.

12. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 11 , wherein the internal electrode comprises LaNiO 3 .

13. An ultraviolet sensor comprising the photodiode according to claim 4 .

14. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 13 comprising an internal electrode comprising a composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Ni is embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer.

15. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the internal electrode comprises LaNiO 3 .

16. An ultraviolet sensor comprising the photodiode according to claim 2 .

17. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 16 , comprising an internal electrode comprising a composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Ni is embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer.

18. An ultraviolet sensor comprising the photodiode according to claim 1 .

19. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 18 , comprising an internal electrode comprising a composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Ni is embedded in the p-type semiconductor layer.

20. The ultraviolet sensor according to claim 19 , wherein the internal electrode comprises LaNiO 3 .

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Nakamura Kazutaka

Classifications

• H01L31/109

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022408

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0328 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F77/206

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title