Photoelectric conversion device having thermal conductive member

• US 5,811,790 A
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Chiori, Watanabe, Minoru, Takeda, Shinichi, Endo, Tadao, Morishita, Masakazu, Hayashi, Shinichi, Tamura, Toshikazu, Takami, Eiichi, Tago, Akira, Funakoshi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B.
• Application Number:
  US08/803,106
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/484.2, 257/712, 257/469, 257/720, 257/706, 257/707, 378/28, 378/141, 378/142, 378/143
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14663 Indirect radiation imagers, e.g. using luminescent members
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14676 X-ray, gamma-ray or corpuscular radiation imagers measuring X-, gamma- or corpuscular radiation G01T1/00
• 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: H01L 31/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02322 comprising luminescent members, e.g. fluorescent sheets upon the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/024 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation for photovoltaic devices H01L31/052
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/085 the device being sensitive to very short wavelength, e.g. X-ray, Gamma-rays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/115 Devices sensitive to very short wavelength, e.g. X-rays, gamma-rays or corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/30 for generating image signals from X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

In a photoelectric conversion device including peripheral ICs, the peripheral ICs are in thermal contact with a substrate having photoelectric conversion elements and a chassis, which covers the peripheral ICs and has high thermal conductivity, via a thermal conductive member, so as to eliminate adverse influences of heat produced by the peripheral ICs such as a low S/N ratio.

Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

photoelectric conversion means for receiving light that carries information and photoelectrically converting the light into an electrical signal;

an integrated circuit element for processing the electrical signal converted by said photoelectric conversion means; and

a housing which accomodates therein said photoelectric conversion element and said integrated circuit element,

wherein a thermal conductive member for thermally connecting said integrated circuit element and said housing is interposed between said integrated circuit element and said housing.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device comprises a plurality of integrated circuit elements equivalent to said integrated circuit element.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a wavelength converter on a light incidence side of said photoelectric conversion means.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said wavelength converter comprises a phosphor.

5. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a radiation absorbing member arranged on a side opposite to a light incidence side of said photoelectric conversion means.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said radiation absorbing member comprises lead.

7. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least some of said plurality of integrated circuit elements directly contact said housing.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device comprises a plurality of integrated circuit elements equivalent to said integrated circuit element, and at least some of said plurality of integrated circuit elements directly contact a radiation absorbing member arranged on a side opposite to a light incidence side of said photoelectric conversion means.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit elements which directly contact said housing are covered by a radiation absorbing member.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said housing has corrugations on at least an outer surface thereof.

11. A device according to claim 5, wherein said radiation absorbing member has corrugations on a surface thereof.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal conductive member comprises silicone-based grease.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal conductive member comprises silicone rubber.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal conductive member contains ceramics particles.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal conductive member contains glass cloth.

16. A photoelectric conversion device comprising at least:

a phosphor for absorbing radiation and emitting light;

photoelectric conversion means for receiving the light emitted by said phosphor and photoelectrically converting the light into an electrical signal;

an IC for processing the electrical signal converted by said photoelectric conversion means;

a metal chassis for integrally holding the respective members and transmitting the radiation; and

a member with a high thermal conductivity, which is interposed between at least a portion of said IC and said chassis and/or said radiation absorbing member.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein said member with the high thermal conductivity contacts said IC and said chassis and/or said radiation absorbing member.

18. A device according to claim 16, wherein at least a portion of said IC directly contacts said chassis and/or said radiation absorbing member.

19. A device according to claim 16, wherein grooves are formed on a surface and/or surfaces of said radiation absorbing member and/or said chassis to increase a surface area thereof.

20. A device according to claim 16, wherein said member with the high thermal conductivity consists of silicone-based grease.

21. A device according to claim 16, wherein said radiation absorbing member comprises lead.

22. A device according to claim 16, comprising at least:

a phosphor for absorbing radiation and emitting light;

a two-dimensional array of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for receiving the light emitted by said phosphor and photoelectrically converting the light into signals;

a switching element for switching signals from said photoelectric conversion elements;

an IC for driving said photoelectric conversion elements and said switching element;

an IC for reading the signals from said photoelectric conversion elements;

an IC for processing a signal from said IC for reading the signals; and

a line driver IC for transferring processed data.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein each of said photoelectric conversion elements comprises, in turn from an insulating substrate side:

a first metal thin film serving as a lower electrode;

an amorphous silicon nitride insulating layer (a-SiN_x) for blocking passage of electrons and holes;

a hydrogenated amorphous silicon photoelectric conversion layer (a-Si;

H);

an n-type injection blocking layer for blocking injection of hole carriers or a p-type injection blocking layer for blocking injection of electron carriers; and

a second metal thin film formed on a portion on a transparent conductive layer or said injection blocking layer serving as an upper electrode,

said switching element comprises, in turn from the insulating substrate side;

a first metal thin film serving as a lower gate electrode;

an amorphous silicon nitride gate insulating layer (a-SiN_x);

a hydrogenated amorphous silicon semiconductor layer (a-Si;

H);

an n- or p-type ohmic contact layer; and

a transparent conductive layer or a second metal thin film serving as source and drain electrodes, and

said photoelectric conversion elements and said switching elements are formed using the respective layers simultaneously formed on a single insulating substrate.