Photoelectric conversion apparatus and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9634174-B2
Application number	US-201514631386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a substrate 13 and a photodiode 9 in which a first semiconductor layer 25 , a second semiconductor layer 26 and a third semiconductor layer 27 are laminated on the substrate 13 in the stated order. The second semiconductor layer 26 is an i-type semiconductor layer, and one of the first semiconductor layer 25 and the third semiconductor layer 27 is an n-type semiconductor layer, and the other is a p-type semiconductor layer. Also, the first semiconductor layer 25 is covered by the second semiconductor layer 26.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising:
a substrate; and
a light detection part including a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a third semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer being laminated on the substrate in order of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the third semiconductor layer in a first direction,
the second semiconductor layer being an i-type semiconductor layer, and one of the first semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer being an n-type semiconductor layer and the other being a p-type semiconductor layer,
the first semiconductor layer being covered by the second semiconductor layer,
the third semiconductor layer having an area that is smaller than an area of the second semiconductor layer in a plan view from a thickness direction of the substrate,
the second semiconductor layer having a first portion that overlaps the first semiconductor layer in the first direction, a second portion that does not overlap the first semiconductor layer in the first direction, and a third portion that does not overlap the first semiconductor layer in the first direction and is disposed between the first and second portions in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second portion having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface in the first direction, the first surface being closer to the substrate than the second surface in the first direction, each of the first and third portions having a part that is positioned farther from the substrate in the first direction than the second surface of the second portion,
the third semiconductor layer overlapping at least the first portion and the third portion in the first direction.

2. The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the third semiconductor layer includes a place opposing the first semiconductor layer and is larger in area than the first semiconductor layer in the plan view from the thickness direction of the substrate.

3. The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second semiconductor layer is thicker than the first semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is thicker than the third semiconductor layer.

4. An electronic device comprising a photoelectric conversion apparatus, wherein the photoelectric conversion apparatus is the photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. The photoelectric conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first portion has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface in the first direction, and the third surface is closer to the substrate than the fourth surface in the first direction,
the first surface of the second portion is arranged closer to the substrate than the third surface of the first portion in the first direction, and
the second surface is arranged closer to the substrate than the fourth surface of the first portion in the first direction.

6. A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising:
a substrate; and
a first electrode disposed on the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate, the first electrode including a non-protruding portion and a protruding portion protruding from the non-protruding portion in the thickness direction;
an insulating layer disposed on the non-protruding portion in the thickness direction,
a light detection part including
a first semiconductor layer disposed on the protruding portion in the thickness direction,
a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and the insulating layer in the thickness direction, the second semiconductor layer being an i-type semiconductor layer, and
a third semiconductor layer disposed on the second semiconductor layer in the thickness direction, one of the first semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer being an n-type semiconductor layer and the other being a p-type semiconductor layer; and

a second electrode disposed on the third semiconductor layer in the thickness direction,
the second semiconductor layer having a dimension in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, which is equal to a total of a dimension of the first semiconductor layer and a dimension of the insulating layer in the perpendicular direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Jiroku Hiroaki

Classifications

• G06V40/145

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• H01L27/14612

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06K9/00013

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K2009/00932

  Physics · mapped topic

• H01L27/14603

  Electricity · mapped topic