Photodetection device and imaging device

• US 10,453,980 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shishido, Sanshiro, Takase, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Tong-Ho
• Application Number:
  US16/000,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20190006542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 257443
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14665 Imagers using a photoconductor layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035281 Shape of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/101 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A photodetection device includes: a photoelectric converter generating charge; a first channel having first and second ends, the first end being connected to the photoelectric converter, charge being transferred from the first end toward the second end; a second channel diverging from the first channel at a first position of the first channel; a third channel diverging from the first channel at a second position of the first channel; a first accumulator accumulating charge transferred from the first channel through the second channel; a second accumulator accumulating charge transferred from the first channel through the third channel; and at least one first gate electrode switching between transfer/cutoff of charge in the second channel, and switching between transfer/cutoff of charge in the third channel, a width of the first channel at the first end being greater than a width of the first channel at the second end in a plan view.

Claims

1. A photodetection device, comprising:

a photoelectric converter that generates charge;

a first charge transfer channel that has a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the photoelectric converter, charge from the photoelectric converter being transferred in the first charge transfer channel in a first direction from the first end toward the second end;

a second charge transfer channel that diverges from the first charge transfer channel at a first position of the first charge transfer channel;

a third charge transfer channel that diverges from the first charge transfer channel at a second position of the first charge transfer channel, the second position being further than the first position from the first end in the first direction;

a first charge accumulator that accumulates charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel through the second charge transfer channel;

a second charge accumulator that accumulates charge transferred from the first charge transfer channel through the third charge transfer channel; and

at least one first gate electrode that switches between transfer and cutoff of charge in the second charge transfer channel, and that switches between transfer and cutoff of charge in the third charge transfer channel, wherein

a width of the first charge transfer channel at the first position is greater than a width of the first charge transfer channel at the second position in a plan view.

2. The photodetection device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the first charge transfer channel monotonically decreases from the first end toward the second end.

3. The photodetection device according to claim 1, further comprising

a second gate electrode that covers the first charge transfer channel, the second gate electrode switching between transfer and cutoff of charge in the first charge transfer channel, wherein

the second gate electrode has a third end and a fourth end, the third end being on a side of the first end, the fourth end being on a side of the second end, and

a width of the second gate electrode at the third end is greater than a width of the second gate electrode at the fourth end.

4. The photodetection device according to claim 3, wherein a width of the second gate electrode monotonically decreases from the third end toward the fourth end.

5. The photodetection device according to claim 3, comprising

a semiconductor substrate that includes a diffusion region, the first charge transfer channel being located in the diffusion region.

6. The photodetection device according to claim 5, wherein a difference between the width of the second gate electrode at the third end and a width of the diffusion region under the third end is less than a difference between the width of the second gate electrode at the fourth end and a width of the diffusion region under the fourth end.

7. The photodetection device according to claim 6, wherein the width of the diffusion region under the third end is equal to the width of the diffusion region under the fourth end.

8. The photodetection device according to claim 5, wherein a width of the diffusion region under the third end is greater than a width of the diffusion region under the fourth end.

9. The photodetection device according to claim 1, comprising

a semiconductor substrate that includes a diffusion region, wherein

the first charge transfer channel is located in the diffusion region, and

a first width of the diffusion region along the first end is greater than a second width of the diffusion region along the second end.

10. The photodetection device according to claim 9, further comprising

a second gate electrode that covers the first charge transfer channel, the second gate electrode switching between transfer and cutoff of charge in the first charge transfer channel, wherein

the second gate electrode has a third end and a fourth end, the third end being on a side of the first end, the fourth end being on a side of the second end.

11. The photodetection device according to claim 10, wherein a width of the second gate electrode at the third end is greater than the first width of the diffusion region.

12. The photodetection device according to claim 10, wherein a difference between a width of the second gate electrode at the third end and the first width of the diffusion region is less than a difference between a width of the second gate electrode at the fourth end and the second width of the diffusion region.

13. The photodetection device according to claim 10, wherein a width of the second gate electrode at the third end is equal to a width of the second gate electrode at the fourth end.

14. The photodetection device according to claim 1, further comprising a charge sweeper that is connected to the second end of the first charge transfer channel.

15. An imaging device, comprising a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels configured from the photodetection device according to claim 1, are arranged in an array.

16. The photodetection device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the first charge transfer channel at the first end is greater than a width of the first charge transfer channel at the second end in the plan view.