Radiation imaging element

• US 20090134336A1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Toshiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,855,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/370.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/24 with semiconductor detectors

Abstract

A radiation imaging element that includes radiation sensors disposed in a matrix so as to output signal charges corresponding to radiation transmitted through a subject, and TFTs for readout of signals from the radiation sensors, wherein

• • the TFT has at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode,
  • the active layer has at least a first region and a second region which has an electric conductivity larger than an electric conductivity of the first region,
  • the second region is in contact with the gate insulating layer, and
  • the first region is disposed so as to be electrically connected between the second region and at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode.

A radiation imaging element that effectively suppresses noise and also achieves a high quality image is provided.

Claims

1. A radiation imaging element comprising radiation sensors disposed in a matrix so as to output signal charges corresponding to radiation transmitted through a subject, and thin film field effect transistors for readout of signals from the radiation sensors, wherein:

each thin film field effect transistor comprises at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode;

the active layer comprises at least a first region and a second region which has an electric conductivity larger than an electric conductivity of the first region;

the second region is in contact with the gate insulating layer; and

the first region is disposed so as to be electrically connected between the second region and at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode.

2. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein at least the first region and the second region are each formed as a layer on a substrate of the thin film field effect transistor, the layer of the second region is in contact with the gate insulating layer, and the layer of the first region is in contact with at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode.

3. The radiation imaging element according to claim 2, wherein the layer of the first region is thicker than the layer of the second region.

4. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein, in the active layer, the electric conductivity continuously changes between the first region and the second region.

5. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein the active layer comprises an oxide semiconductor.

6. The radiation imaging element according to claim 5, wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises an amorphous oxide semiconductor.

7. The radiation imaging element according to claim 5, wherein an oxygen concentration of the second region is lower than an oxygen concentration of the first region.

8. The radiation imaging element according to claim 5, wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises at least one of indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn) or a composite oxide of one or more of In, Ga or Zn.

9. The radiation imaging element according to claim 8, wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises In and Zn, and a composition ratio of Zn to In (expressed by a ratio Zn/In of Zn to In) of the first region is larger than a composition ratio Zn/In of the second region.

10. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductivity of the second region is 10⁻

4 Scm<sup>−

1</sup> or more and less than 10² Scm<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. The radiation imaging element according to claim 10, wherein the electric conductivity of the second region is 10⁻

1 Scm<sup>−

1</sup> or more and less than 10² Scm<sup>−

1</sup>.

12. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the electric conductivity of the second region to the electric conductivity of the first region (electric conductivity of second region/electric conductivity of first region) is from 10¹ to 10¹⁰.

13. The radiation imaging element according to claim 12, wherein the ratio of the electric conductivity of the second region to the electric conductivity of the first region (electric conductivity of second region/electric conductivity of first region) is from 10² to 10¹⁰.

14. The radiation imaging element according to claim 13, wherein the ratio of the electric conductivity of the second region to the electric conductivity of the first region (electric conductivity of second region/electric conductivity of first region) is from 10² to 10⁸.

15. The radiation imaging element according to claim 1, wherein a substrate of the thin film field effect transistor is a flexible resin substrate.