PHOTOSENSITIVE IMAGING DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20140332665A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SiOnyx, LLC (DC Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: SiOnyx, LLC (DC Capital Partners, LLC)
• Inventors: Jiang, Jutao, McKee, Jeffrey, Pralle, Martin U.
• Granted Patent: US 9,741,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1461 characterised by the photosensitive area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1464 Back illuminated imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14647 Multicolour imagers having a stacked pixel-element structure, e.g. npn, npnpn or MQW elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/131 including elements passing infrared wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/135 based on four or more different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/771 comprising storage means other than floating diffusion

Abstract

A monolithic sensor for detecting infrared and visible light according to an example includes a semiconductor substrate and a semiconductor layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer includes a device surface opposite the semiconductor substrate. A visible light photodiode is formed at the device surface. An infrared photodiode is also formed at the device surface and in proximity to the visible light photodiode. A textured region is coupled to the infrared photodiode and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation.

Claims

1. A monolithic sensor for detecting infrared and visible light, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor layer having a device surface opposite the semiconductor substrate;

a visible light photodiode formed at the device surface;

an infrared photodiode formed at the device surface in proximity to the visible light photodiode; and

a light diffusing region coupled to the infrared photodiode and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the light diffusing region is a textured region positioned between the infrared photodiode and the semiconductor substrate.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the light diffusing region is a textured region positioned on an opposite side of the infrared photodiode from the semiconductor substrate.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the visible light photodiode comprises a plurality of visible light photodiodes each being configured to detect a different color of visible light.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the infrared photodiode comprises a photodiode configured to detect infrared light having a wavelength of greater than 1000 nm.

6. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising an infrared narrow bandpass filter coupled to the infrared photodiode.

7. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising an image processor for combining a first output from the infrared light photodiode with a second output from the visible light photodiode to form a composite image.

8. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for synchronizing light capture of the infrared photodiode with a pulse frequency of an infrared light source.

9. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for capturing signals generated by the infrared light photodiode in response to detection of a pulse of infrared light from an infrared light source.

10. The sensor of claim 9, further comprising circuitry for integrating the signals generated by the infrared light photodiode across multiple pulses of infrared light from the infrared light source to create a composite infrared signal image.

26. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the light diffusing region is formed by laser processing.

27. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the light diffusing region is formed by chemical etching.

11. A system for detecting and combining infrared and visible light, comprising:

a sensor, comprising;

a semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor layer having a device surface opposite the semiconductor substrate;

a visible light photodiode formed at the device surface;

an infrared photodiode formed at the device surface in proximity to the visible light photodiode;

a textured region coupled to the infrared photodiode and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation; and

an infrared light source operable to emit infrared light detectable by the infrared photodiode.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a communication channel between the infrared light source and the infrared photodiode to synchronize detection of infrared light by the infrared photodiode with a pulse of the infrared light source.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) clock for synchronizing detection of infrared light by the sensor with a pulse of the infrared light source.

14-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A monolithic sensor for detecting infrared and visible light, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first pixel formed over the semiconductor substrate and further including a plurality of first pixel transistors; and

a second pixel formed over the semiconductor substrate in proximity to the first pixel and further including a plurality of second pixel transistors;

wherein the plurality of first pixel transistors and the plurality of second pixel transistors are different in number, and wherein the first pixel and the second pixel comprise separate control logic and routing in the sensor.

25. The sensor of claim 23, further comprising a textured region coupled to the second pixel and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation.

28. The sensor of claim 23, wherein the second pixel has a pixel architecture that is capable of performing a global shutter operation.

24. (canceled)