Photosensor, semiconductor device including photosensor, and light measurement method using photosensor

• US 8,637,802 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamata, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SANG H
• Application Number:
  US13/154,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/401, 257/443, 257/72, 257/80, 257/291, 250/214.R, 250/214.A, 250/214.1, 250/208.1, 356/218
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1251 comprising TFTs having a different architecture, e.g. top- and bottom gate TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1136 the device being a metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor

Abstract

An object is to provide a photosensor utilizing an oxide semiconductor in which a refreshing operation is unnecessary, a semiconductor device provided with the photosensor, and a light measurement method utilizing the photosensor. It is found that a constant gate current can be obtained by applying a gate voltage in a pulsed manner to a transistor including a channel formed using an oxide semiconductor, and this is applied to a photosensor. Since a refreshing operation of the photosensor is unnecessary, it is possible to measure the illuminance of light with small power consumption through a high-speed and easy measurement procedure. A transistor utilizing an oxide semiconductor having a relatively high mobility, a small S value, and a small off-state current can form a photosensor; therefore, a multifunction semiconductor device can be obtained through a small number of steps.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a transistor including a channel including an oxide semiconductor; and

an oscillator circuit,

wherein an output of the oscillator circuit is electrically connected to a gate electrode of the transistor,

wherein the channel is a receiving portion, and

wherein the oscillator circuit includes a light blocking layer.

2. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

an RFID device that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein the channel of the second transistor forms over the light blocking layer.

3. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

a display device that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein the channel of the second transistor forms over the light blocking layer.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

electronic paper that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein the channel of the second transistor forms over the light blocking layer.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

an RFID device that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein a gate insulating layer of the second transistor forms over a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor, and

wherein a gate electrode of the second transistor forms over the channel of the second transistor.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

a display device that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein a gate insulating layer of the second transistor forms over a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor, and

wherein a gate electrode of the second transistor forms over the channel of the second transistor.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1; and

electronic paper that operates using a second transistor including a channel including the same material as the channel of the transistor included in the sensor,

wherein a gate insulating layer of the second transistor forms over a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor, and

wherein a gate electrode of the second transistor forms over the channel of the second transistor.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor measures force, displacement, position, speed, acceleration, angular velocity, rotation number, distance, light, liquid, magnetism, temperature, chemical substance, sound, time, hardness, electric field, current, voltage, electric power, radial ray, flow rate, humidity, gradient, vibration, smell, or infrared ray.