Sensor and image pickup device

• US 7,663,116 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.), Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited, Tokyo Institute of Technology (National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.), Tokyo Institute of Technology (National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology)
• Inventors: Kamiya, Toshio, Nomura, Kenji, Hosono, Hideo, Saito, Keishi
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gaworecki; Mark R
• Application Number:
  US12/368,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.09, 250/370.11
• US Class Current: 250/370.09
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14658 X-ray, gamma-ray or corpuscular radiation imagers measuring X-, gamma- or corpuscular radiation G01T1/00
• 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 31/02322 comprising luminescent members, e.g. fluorescent sheets upon the device
• 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: H01L 31/085 the device being sensitive to very short wavelength, e.g. X-ray, Gamma-rays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/118 of the surface barrier or shallow PN junction detector type, e.g. surface barrier alpha-particle detectors

Abstract

A sensor for detecting a received electromagnetic wave comprising a first electrode, a second electrode and an amorphous oxide layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Claims

1. A sensor for detecting a received electromagnetic wave, comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode; and

an amorphous oxide layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the amorphous oxide layer contains at least one of In, Zn or Sn, and wherein the amorphous oxide layer comprises an amorphous oxide whose electron mobility tends to increase with increasing electron carrier concentration.

2. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer is a semiconductor layer comprising a metal oxide, wherein the metal is said at least one of In, Zn and Sn.

3. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode has transmissivity with respect to light in a wavelength range to which the amorphous oxide layer is sensitive.

4. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer has an organic pigment.

5. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes and the amorphous oxide layer are provided on a flexible substrate and wherein the amorphous oxide layer comprises an amorphous oxide whose electron mobility tends to increase with increasing electron carrier concentration.

6. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of amorphous oxide layers are interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and wherein the amorphous oxide layer comprises an amorphous oxide whose electron mobility tends to increase with increasing electron carrier concentration.

7. An image pickup device comprising:

a sensor for detecting a received electromagnetic wave according to claim 1; and

a field effect transistor for reading a signal from said sensor.

8. An image pickup device according to claim 7, further comprising an imaging region which includes the sensor and is non-flat.

9. An image pickup device according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is an X-ray sensor, and the X-ray sensor includes a scintillator for converting X-ray into light, and the sensor detects the light as the electromagnetic wave.

10. An image pickup device comprising:

a sensor for detecting a received electromagnetic wave according to claim 1; and

a field effect transistor for reading a signal from the sensor,

wherein the field effect transistor is a normally-off transistor having an active layer composed of an amorphous oxide semiconductor.

11. An image pickup device according to claim 10, further comprising an imaging region which includes the sensor and is non-flat.

12. An image pickup device according to claim 10, wherein the sensor is an X-ray sensor, and the X-ray sensor includes a scintillator for converting X-ray into light, and the sensor detects the light as the electromagnetic wave.