Sensor and image pickup device

• US 20060108529A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• 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: Saito, Keishi, Kamiya, Toshio, Nomura, Kenji, Hosono, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/338.400
• 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

2. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer has an electron carrier concentration of less than 10¹⁸/cm³.

3. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer contains at least one of In, Zn, and Sn.

4. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer comprises an oxide selected from the group consisting of an oxide containing In, Zn and Sn, an oxide containing In and Zn, an oxide containing In and Sn, and an oxide containing In.

5. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous oxide layer contains In, Ga, and Zn.

6. 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.

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

8. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes and the amorphous oxide layer are provided on a flexible substrate.

9. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of amorphous oxide layers are interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode

10. 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 comprises an amorphous oxide whose electron mobility tends to increase with increasing electron carrier concentration.

11. An image pickup device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

an X-ray sensor arranged on the flexible substrate; and

a field effect transistor for reading a signal from the X-ray sensor, wherein;

the field effect transistor has an amorphous oxide as an active layer; and

the amorphous oxide comprises one of an oxide having an electron carrier concentration of less than 10¹⁸/cm³ and an oxide whose electron mobility tends to increase with increasing electron carrier concentration.

12. An image pickup device according to claim 11, further comprising a non-flat imaging region.

13. An image pickup device according to claim 11, wherein the X-ray sensor includes a scintillator for converting X-ray into light and an opto-electric conversion element.

14. An image pickup device according to claim 11, wherein the X-ray sensor comprises a semiconductor layer, and the semiconductor layer comprises an amorphous oxide.

15. An image pickup device comprising:

a substrate having a non-flat region;

an X-ray sensor provided on the substrate; and

a field effect transistor for reading a signal from the X-ray sensor,

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