Semiconductor device and driving method thereof

• US 10,535,689 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Don J
• Application Number:
  US14/697,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20150236061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2001/4446 Type of detector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14614 having a special gate structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14616 characterised by the channel of the transistor, e.g. channel having a doping gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/032 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only compounds not provided for in groups H01L31/0272 - H01L31/0312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A semiconductor device including photosensor capable of imaging with high resolution is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes the photosensor having a photodiode, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The photodiode generates an electric signal in accordance with the intensity of light. The first transistor stores charge in a gate thereof and converts the stored charge into an output signal. The second transistor transfers the electric signal generated by the photodiode to the gate of the first transistor and holds the charge stored in the gate of the first transistor. The first transistor has a back gate and the threshold voltage thereof is changed by changing the potential of the back gate.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a photodiode configured to receive a light;

a first transistor comprising a gate and a back gate; and

a second transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the photodiode,

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the gate of the first transistor,

wherein the photodiode is configured to generate an electric signal in accordance with intensity of the light,

wherein the first transistor is configured to convert a charge in the gate of the first transistor into an output signal,

wherein the first transistor is turned on when a first potential is input to the gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the charge is changed in accordance with the electric signal.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first transistor further comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region,

wherein the gate is over a substrate,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is over the gate with a gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, and

wherein the back gate is over the oxide semiconductor layer with an oxide insulating layer interposed therebetween.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein a potential of the back gate is changed in accordance with a signal supplied to a back gate signal line electrically connected to the back gate.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first transistor is configured such that a potential of the back gate is variable.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising a third transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising a fourth transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising a fourth transistor,

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first transistor via the fourth transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor, and

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the first transistor.

9. An electronic appliance comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:

a photodiode configured to receive a light;

a first transistor comprising a gate and a back gate; and

a second transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the photodiode,

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the gate of the first transistor,

wherein the first transistor is configured to convert a charge in the gate of the first transistor into an output signal, and

wherein the output signal is an electric signal in accordance with intensity of the light.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the first transistor further comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region,

wherein the gate is over a substrate,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is over the gate with a gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, and

wherein the back gate is over the oxide semiconductor layer with an oxide insulating layer interposed therebetween.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein a potential of the back gate is changed in accordance with a signal supplied to a back gate signal line electrically connected to the back gate.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the first transistor is configured such that a potential of the back gate is variable.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 13,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a third transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor.

16. An electronic appliance comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 10.

17. A semiconductor device comprising:

a photodiode;

a first transistor comprising a gate and a back gate; and

a second transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the photodiode,

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the second transistor is directly connected to the gate of the first transistor,

wherein the gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the photodiode, and

wherein the first transistor is configured to convert a charge in the gate of the first transistor into an output signal.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 17,

wherein the first transistor further comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region,

wherein the gate is over a substrate,

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is over the gate with a gate insulating layer interposed therebetween, and

wherein the back gate is over the oxide semiconductor layer with an oxide insulating layer interposed therebetween.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17,

wherein a potential of the back gate is changed in accordance with a signal supplied to a back gate signal line electrically connected to the back gate.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising a second transistor,

wherein the first transistor is configured such that a potential of the back gate is variable.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 20,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer comprising a channel formation region.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 20, further comprising a third transistor,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to the gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the third transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor.

23. An electronic appliance comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 17.