IMAGE SENSORS INCLUDING THOSE PROVIDING GLOBAL ELECTRONIC SHUTTER

• US 20170263686A1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: InVisage Technologies, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InVisage Technologies, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Beiley, Zachary Michael, Sargent, Edward Hartley
• Application Number:
  US15/456,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20170263686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14696 The active layers comprising only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, CdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/151 the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/87 Light-trapping means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 39/32 Organic image sensors

Abstract

Various embodiments include an image sensor providing global electronic shutter having an integrated circuit, a first charge-extracting layer, an optically sensitive layer, and a second hole-extracting layer. In a first mode (the ‘on’ mode), electrons are extracted via the first charge-extracting layer. In a second mode (the ‘off’ mode), the extraction of holes is prevented by the first charge-extracting layer. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An image sensor providing global electronic shutter, the image sensor comprising:

an integrated circuit;

a first charge-extracting layer;

an optically sensitive layer; and

a second hole-extracting layer;

wherein, in a first mode (the ‘

on’

mode), electrons are extracted via the first charge-extracting layer, and wherein, in a second mode (the ‘

off’

mode), the extraction of holes is prevented by the first charge-extracting layer.

2. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises silicon.

3. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including TiO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, CuO, Cu2O, ZrO2, Nb2O5, HfO2, and TiOxNy.

4. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by providing an energy barrier to hole collection by thermionic emission.

5. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by being substantially fully depleted of electrons such that recombination of photo-generated holes with electrons in the first charge-extracting layer is slow.

6. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by tunneling or trap-assisted tunneling through the first charge-extraction layer.

7. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer can be patterned into electrically isolated pixels.

8. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first charge-extracting layer can be a fast extractor of charge when ‘

on.’

9. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the optically sensitive layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including semiconducting polymer, semiconducting organic small molecule, quantum dots, and metal-organic perovskite semiconductor.

10. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the optically sensitive layer has an appropriate band alignment to the first charge-extracting layer to allow for good carrier collection when ‘

on’ and

poor hole extraction when ‘

off.’

11. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the optically sensitive layer can have a low number of deep trap states such that charge is quickly extracted.

12. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the hole-extracting layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including CoO, MoO3, WO3, NiO, ITO, AZO, and Spiro-OMeTAD.

13. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit can control the bias across the optically sensitive layer to turn a device stack from “

on”

to “

off.”

14. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the off region can have a voltage width wide enough to include a full dynamic range of the image sensor.

15. An image sensor providing global electronic shutter, the image sensor comprising an integrated circuit;

a first electrode;

a first charge-extracting layer;

an optically sensitive layer;

and a second hole-extracting layer;

wherein, in a first mode (the ‘

on’

mode), electrons are extracted via the first charge-extracting layer into the first electrode, and wherein, in a second mode (the ‘

off’

mode), an injection of electrons is prevented via an energetic barrier between a first contact and the first charge-extracting layer.

16. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including TiO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, CuO, Cu2O, ZrO2, Nb2O5, HfO2, and TiOxNy.

17. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by providing an energy barrier to hole collection by thermionic emission.

18. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by being substantially fully depleted of electrons such that recombination of photo-generated holes with electrons in the first charge-extracting layer is slow.

19. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer prevents the collection of holes by tunneling or trap-assisted tunneling through the first charge-extraction layer.

20. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer can be patterned into electrically isolated pixels.

21. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the first charge-extracting layer can be a fast extractor of charge when ‘

on.’

22. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the optically sensitive layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including semiconducting polymer, semiconducting organic small molecule, quantum dots, and metal-organic perovskite semiconductor.

23. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the optically sensitive layer has an appropriate band alignment to the first charge-extracting layer to allow for good carrier collection when ‘

on’ and

poor hole extraction when ‘

off.’

24. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the optically sensitive layer can have a low number of deep trap states such that charge is quickly extracted.

25. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the hole-extracting layer comprises at least one material from the list of materials including CoO, MoO3, WO3, NiO, ITO, AZO, and Spiro-OMeTAD.

26. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit comprises silicon.

27. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit can control the bias across the optically sensitive layer to turn a device stack from “

on”

to “

off.”

28. The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the off region can have a voltage width wide enough to include a full dynamic range of the image sensor.