Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F39/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element covered by group H10F30/00, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays
  • H10F39/10—Integrated devices
  • H10F39/12—Image sensors
  • H10F39/191—Photoconductor image sensors
  • H10F39/193—Infrared image sensors
  • H10F39/1935—Infrared image sensors of the hybrid type
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F39/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element covered by group H10F30/00, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays
  • H10F39/10—Integrated devices
  • H10F39/12—Image sensors
  • H10F39/18—Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
  • H10F39/182—Colour image sensors
  • H10F39/1825—Multicolour image sensors having stacked structure, e.g. NPN, NPNPN or multiple quantum well [MQW] structures
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F39/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element covered by group H10F30/00, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays
  • H10F39/10—Integrated devices
  • H10F39/12—Image sensors
  • H10F39/18—Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
  • H10F39/184—Infrared image sensors
  • H10F39/1843—Infrared image sensors of the hybrid type
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
  • H10F39/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element covered by group H10F30/00, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays
  • H10F39/10—Integrated devices
  • H10F39/12—Image sensors
  • H10F39/18—Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
  • H10F39/184—Infrared image sensors
  • H10F39/1847—Multispectral infrared image sensors having a stacked structure, e.g. NPN, NPNPN or multiple quantum well [MQW] structures

Definitions

• the subject of this invention is a matrix of multispectral detectors. This type of matrix most often aims to transcribe images. It can also be used to process light signals from measuring devices.
• Light can be understood in its broad sense, that is to say from infrared to ultraviolet.
• the detectors deliver electrical signals related to the light intensities received. Each show range turns into different electrical signals. Depending on the structure of the detectors, this color information is output in parallel or successively. Some matrices deliver, in addition, several signals in parallel to transmit information more quickly.
• Another classic solution is to use three matrices around an optical prism separating the spectral ranges. This solution overcomes the limitations of the previous solution, but the compactness advantages of an array of detectors are lost. Indeed, the optical prism responsible for separating the wavelengths has a large thickness. This prism is all the thicker and heavier than the arrays of photodetectors are large.
• a recent solution, disclosed in document O-A-00/62 350 consists in creating a matrix containing a stack of doped zones and of alternating polarities, thus forming diodes connected in series. Due to their location at different depths, each diode in a stack detects a different color. These heavily doped areas have the drawback of rapidly recombining the photo-generated electron-hole pairs.
• the solution mainly corresponds to the introduction of dielectric layers in the internal structure of the matrix.
• This complexification takes advantage of the properties of the optical absorption of materials. The different wavelengths of light are absorbed from the surface of the material, but the absorption coefficient is variable with the wavelength. Certain wavelengths are almost completely absorbed in a very small thickness while others continue to propagate in the depth of the material.
• the absorption coefficients of the materials are known and constant. If the absorbent structure has as many pairs of dielectric / absorbent layers as there are wavelength ranges whose intensities have to be measured and if the thickness of the absorbent layers is chosen appropriately, then it is possible to obtain sufficient information to go back by calculation to the intensities of each spectral range.
• the calculation can be done electrically by several conventional methods. It can be done by making the analog amplification circuit more complex and by creating the appropriate feedback between the different operational amplifiers. It can also be done by associating the array of detectors and its amplifier circuit with one (or more) analog / digital converter and with a
• the subject of the invention is therefore a matrix structure of multispectral detectors comprising:
• a superposition of several layers of semiconductor material separated by layers of transparent dielectric material for a light to be detected said superposition providing a face for receiving the light to be detected, said superposition of layers of semiconductor material being distributed into image elements or pixels, each part of layer of semiconductor material corresponding to a pixel comprising a light detection element delivering electrical charges in response to light received by this element detection, means for collecting the electrical charges delivered by each light detection element, these collecting means being electrically connected to electrical connection means and comprising conductive walls filling trenches produced in the superposition of the layers of semiconductor material for ensure electrical contact with all the layers of semiconductor material and to form an electrode common to all the detection elements.
• the structure may have the form of a plate having two opposite main faces: a first face which is the face for receiving the light to be detected and a second face which is electrically insulated and supporting the means of electrical connection.
• the second face can then constitute a hybridization face with a device for exploiting the collected electrical charges.
• the collection means may include conductive crossings. These conductive crossings can be housed in wells, each well having a depth making it possible to reach a corresponding detection element by crossing, without electrical contact, at least one of said layers of semiconductor material.
• Each detection element can comprise at least one semiconductor junction resulting, for example, from the presence of a doped region in said layer portion of semiconductor material.
• the trenches can be made according to a mesh network such that a mesh contains several detection elements. They can also be produced according to a mesh network such that a mesh contains a single detection element.
• the conductive walls may be in electrical contact with the layers of semiconductor material by doped regions of these layers of semiconductor material. They can also be locally electrically isolated from the detection elements and from the common electrode to constitute capacitors for storing electrical charges.
• Light reflecting means may be arranged above the conductive walls in order to reflect the light to be detected, pointing towards the conductive walls, towards the elements adjacent to the conductive walls.
• the superimposition of layers of semiconductor material can comprise layers of semiconductor material of the same or different nature.
• the superposition comprising n layers of semiconductor material, the thickness of each layer is determined as a function of n defined wavelength ranges of the light spectrum so that the layer of semiconductor material located closest to the face receiving light absorbs almost all of a first defined wavelength range, the two layers of semiconductor material located closest to the receiving face of light absorb almost all of a second range of defined wavelength, and so on up to n, the intensities measured by each detection element of the same pixel making it possible to restore, as a function of the absorption coefficients of each layer of semiconductor material, the intensities of each of the n wavelengths received by the pixel.
• Three layers of semiconductor material make it possible to obtain a structure which is well suited to the detection of the first light for imaging in the visible range, but for other applications, the number of layers may be greater.
• FIG. 2 is a top view of a matrix of multispectral detectors of the type of the first variant according to the invention
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second alternative embodiment of a matrix of multispectral detectors according to the invention, hybridized to a reading circuit
• FIG. 4 is a top view of a matrix of detectors multispectral of the type of the second variant according to the invention
• FIG. 5 is a top view of a third alternative embodiment of a matrix of multispectral detectors according to the invention.
• FIG. 6 is a graph representing the absorption curves of light in a semiconductor material for three different wavelengths
• FIG. 7A to 7R illustrate a method for producing the second variant of a matrix of multispectral detectors according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first alternative embodiment of a matrix of multispectral detectors 100 according to the invention, hybridized to a reading circuit 10.
• the array of multispectral detectors 100 comprises, in superposition, three layers of semiconductor material, for example three layers of silicon 101, 102 and 103 arranged in this order relative to the source of the light to be detected.
• a layer of Si0 2 104 separates the semiconductor layers 101 and 102.
• a layer of Si0 2 105 separates the semiconductor layers 102 and 103.
• a passivation layer 106 in Si0 2 constitutes the receiving face of the light to be detected.
• the array of detectors 100 is in the form of a plate. The face of the plate opposite the face for receiving the light to be detected, also called the rear face, is provided with a first dielectric layer 111 and a second dielectric layer 112.
• FIG. 1 shows only two pixels, but their number can be several thousand in each direction of the plane.
• Each pixel comprises three conductive pads 121, 122 and 123 connected respectively to parts of the semiconductor layers 101, 102 and 103 and arranged on the rear face of the structure.
• Each conductive pad 121 is electrically connected to its part of semiconductor layer 101 by a conductive bushing 131 contained in a well provided with an electrically insulating wall 141 for the semiconductor layers 102 and 103.
• Each conductive pad 122 is electrically connected to its part of semiconductor layer 102 by a conductive passage 132 contained in a well provided with an electrically insulating wall 142 for the semiconductor layer 103.
• Each conductive pad 123 is electrically and directly connected to its part of semiconductor layer 103.
• the pixels represented in FIG. 1 are surrounded by conductive walls 151, for example made of polysilicon, contained in trenches produced in the superposition of the semiconductor layers 101, 102 and 103. These conductive walls are in electrical contact with the semiconductor layers 101, 102 and 103.
• the faces 152 of the trenches can be doped in order to perfect the electrical contact with the layers of semiconductor material 101 , 102 and 103.
• the conductive walls 151 constitute the common electrode of all the photodiodes of the detector array. They are electrically connected to conductive pads 153 located on the rear face of the structure.
• Each pixel of the structure shown comprises three parts of the layers of semiconductor material 101, 102 and 103 and therefore three junction diodes.
• the diodes are formed by doping, with a suitable dopant, regions of the semiconductor material.
• the pads 123 are connected to doped areas 163 of the semiconductor layer 103.
• the pads 122 are connected, via the bushings 132, to doped areas 162 of the semiconductor layer 102.
• the pads 121 are connected, by through the bushings 131, to doped areas 161 of the semiconductor layer 101.
• the layers of dielectric material 104 and 105 have a thickness much less than the wavelengths of the light to be detected in order to minimize optical reflections. They have a sufficient thickness to withstand the tensions involved in removing the charges, that is to say approximately 20 ⁇ m.
• the reading circuit 10 supports, on a face facing the rear face of the matrix detectors 100, contact pads 21, 22, 23 and 53 which constitute inputs for the reading circuit.
• the studs 21, 22, 23 and 53 are arranged opposite the studs 121, 122, 123 and 153 respectively.
• the corresponding studs are connected together by conductive balls 20.
• FIG. 2 is a top view of a matrix of multispectral detectors of the type of the first variant of the invention. It is intended to show in a privileged way certain elements of the structure. The elements shown have the same references as in Figure 1 even if their arrangement is not the same. In particular, the photodiodes of the same pixel are arranged in a triangle and the conductive walls 151 form a square containing four pixels.
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second alternative embodiment of a matrix of multispectral detectors 200 according to the invention, hybridized to a reading circuit 10.
• the only difference between this matrix of detectors and that of FIG. 1 is that all pixels are physically isolated from each other.
• the two pixels visible in this figure are separated by a conductive wall 151 similar to the conductive walls 151 of FIG. 1.
• the conductive wall 151 is contained in a trench produced in the superposition of the semiconductor layers.
• the faces 152 of the trenches can be doped.
• the conductive wall 151 is electrically connected to a conductive pad 153 located on the rear face of the structure.
• the reading circuit 10 may include an additional contact pad 53 to obtain an additional electrical connection, via the conductive ball 20, with the conductive pad 153. If it is not necessary in all cases, the additional contact pad is advantageous in the case where the electrode is complex. It may indeed be advantageous to transfer the interconnections to the reading circuit 10.
• FIG. 4 is a top view of a matrix of multispectral detectors of the type of the second variant of the invention. It is intended to show in a privileged way certain elements of the structure. The elements shown are not arranged in the same way as in FIG. 3. In particular, the photodiodes of the same pixel are arranged in a triangle.
• the second variant is preferred in the presence of dazzling sources.
• the quality of the images which it makes it possible to obtain is better than those provided by the first variant of the invention. If there is no physical separation between pixels, the photoelectrons generated for example by red in the various semiconductor layers can diffuse outside their zone. The same goes for photoelectrons from green. At the limit of the two red and green zones side by side then appears a yellow zone (mixture of red and green according to the principle of three-color) misleading. In addition, the scattering of photoelectrons from red and green being different, because generated in different layers, the yellow zone is not centered on the limit of the green and red zones but is offset. A physically completely separate pixel structure does not exhibit these lateral scattering problems.
• a drawback of the multiplication of conductive walls is that a non-negligible part of the illuminated surface is no longer a detector.
• One solution to overcome this drawback is to place pyramids (or knife blades) with a reflecting surface on the conductive walls to reflect the incident light towards the detector surface.
• FIG. 5 is a top view of a third alternative embodiment of a matrix of multispectral detectors according to the invention.
• the array of detectors illustrated by this figure is a structure with isolated pixels as for the previous figure, but complexified compared to the previous structure in order to add a charge storage capacity whose potential is controllable.
• the conductive walls 151 completely isolate each pixel as for the variant shown in FIG. 4. Unlike the previous variant, parts of these walls are electrically isolated from the layers of semiconductor material as well as the other conductive parts. These parts are designated under the reference 154.
• the electrode 153 and the parts 154 are connected to different electrodes in order to charge and discharge the storage capacitors thus formed. All the layers of semiconductor material in the structure are affected by this new variant.
• Each pixel of each layer then has a capacity forming the photo-grid.
• the detector layers may be of semiconductor material of a different nature.
• Figure 6 is a graph representing light absorption curves in a semiconductor material for three different wavelengths.
• the ordinate axis represents the remaining intensity I as a function of the depth p of penetration into a semiconductor material.
• the graph therefore represents the absorption of light in a semiconductor material, in this case silicon.
• the absorption was plotted for three wavelengths.
• Curve 1 represents the absorption of a wavelength of 0.45 ⁇ m (blue light) and corresponds to an absorption coefficient equal to 2.
• Curve 2 represents the absorption of a wavelength of 0.53 ⁇ m (green light) and corresponds to an absorption coefficient oc equal to 0.75.
• Curve 3 represents the absorption of a wavelength of 0.65 ⁇ m (red light) and corresponds to an absorption coefficient ⁇ equal to 0.35.
• E _ ⁇ Io being the intensity of the wave before its penetration into the absorbent material and x the distance (or depth) traveled by the wave in the material.
• the thickness of the semiconductor layers is fixed since the absorption coefficients are constant.
• the layer 101 can be 2 ⁇ m thick, the layer 102 3 ⁇ m thick and the layer 103 7 ⁇ m thick.
• the intensities measured in each layer are a combination of the intensities of each red (R), green (V) and blue (B) range:
• the coefficients (ai, a 2 , a 3 , bi, b 2 %) are constants for a given structure, a function of the thickness of the layers and the nature of the semiconductor material.
• the values of the measured intensities make it possible to restore the values of R, G and B.
• FIGS. 7A to 7R illustrate a method for producing the second variant of the detector array according to the invention.
• FIG. 7A a superposition of layers of semiconductor material separated by layers of transparent dielectric material has been carried out on a silicon substrate 110.
• the superposition has for example been carried out by a conventional technique for obtaining SOI substrates.
• the substrate 110 successively supports a dielectric layer 106, a semiconductor layer 101, a dielectric layer 104, a semiconductor layer 102, a dielectric layer 105, a semiconductor layer 103 and a dielectric layer 111.
• the layers 101, 102 and 103 are for example made of silicon. Their thickness was determined as indicated above.
• the layers 106, 104, 105 and 111 are for example made of silicon oxide.
• FIGS. 7B to 7H illustrate the formation of trenches and diodes in the buried semiconductor layers.
• Layer 111 is etched by carrying out a photolithography step and then etching passivation oxide layer 111. The remaining resin is removed to provide the structure shown in FIG. 7B where the openings 31 and 32 expose the semiconductor layer 103 The openings 31 are wider than the openings 32. The semiconductor layer 103 is then etched (see FIG. 7C) until the dielectric layer 105 is reached. The layer 105 is reached when the etched trenches corresponding to the widest openings (the openings 31 in FIG. 7B), that is to say the trenches 231 are made. The trenches 232 correspond to the narrowest openings, that is to say to the openings 32.
• FIG. 7D represents the structure obtained when the oxide layer 105 exposed in the trenches 231 is etched to expose the layer semiconductor 102. The semiconductor material is not affected by this etching.
• the semiconductor layer 102 is then etched from the trenches 231 until the dielectric layer 104 is exposed at the bottom of these trenches.
• the etching of the semiconductor layer 103 also continues from the bottom of the trenches 232 to reach almost simultaneously the dielectric layer 105. This simultaneity results from the choice of the diameters of the openings 31 and 32 (see FIG. 7B).
• the structure obtained is shown in Figure 7 E.
• the walls 141 and 142 respectively of the trenches 231 and 232 are then oxidized as shown in FIG. 7F.
• Doping agents are then implanted. These dopants reach zones 161 and 162 of the semiconductor layers 101 and 102 respectively.
• the dopants pass through the dielectric layers 104 and 105 which are thin oxide layers but do not reach the semiconductor layer 103 because the dielectric layer 111 is in thick oxide.
• An anisotropic dry etching then makes it possible to eliminate the thin oxide covering the doped zones 161 and 162. This is shown in FIG. 7G.
• the trenches are then filled with an electrically conductive material such as polysilicon to provide the bushings 131 and 132 ensuring electrical contact with the doped areas 161 and 162 respectively. The excess filling is removed by polishing and the structure shown in FIG. figure 7H.
• Figures 71 to 7M illustrate the formation of trenches to obtain the common electrode.
• a surface passivation layer 112 is deposited on layer 111 by covering the bushings 131 and 132. This is shown in FIG. 71.
• Openings 51 are made in layers 112 and 111 until the semiconductor layer 103 is exposed. This can be obtained by photolithography and etching steps of layers 112 and 111 and by elimination of the remaining resin. We obtain the structure shown in Figure 7J.
• Trenches 251 are obtained as shown in the illustration Figure 7K.
• the faces 152 of the trenches 251 are doped by diffusion of dopants in the semiconductor layers 101, 102 and 103.
• the structure shown in FIG. 7L is obtained.
• the trenches are then filled with an electrically conductive material such as polysilicon to provide the walls ensuring electrical contact with the doped faces 152.
• the excess filling is removed by polishing.
• the structure shown in FIG. 7M is obtained.
• FIGS. 7N to 70 illustrate the formation of the doped zones in the semiconductor layer 103.
• FIG. 7N shows that a resin layer 60 has been deposited on the layer 112 and that it has been photolithographed to form, by etching the dielectric layers 111 and 112, openings 61, 62 and 63 exposing the semiconductor layer 103 and the top of crossings 131 and 132.
• FIG. 70 represents the structure obtained when the conductive pads have been deposited. To obtain this result, the dielectric layer was slightly deoxidized and a metallic layer was deposited. A photolithography of the metal layer is carried out. The conductive pads are etched in this metal layer and the remaining resin is removed. Plots 153 are obtained in contact with the walls 151, studs 121 in contact with the bushings 131, studs 122 in contact with the bushings 132 and studs 123 in contact with the doped areas 163.
• FIG. 7Q shows hybridization balls 20 which have been formed on the conductive pads 153, 121, 122 and 123.
• FIG. 7R shows the hybridization of the structure obtained on a reading circuit 10 aux means of the balls 20.
• the balls 20 electrically and respectively connect the pads 153, 121, 122 and 123 of the structure to the pads 53, 21, 22 and 23 of the reading circuit 10.
• the inter-ball space is optionally filled with a material not electrical conductor .
• the substrate 110 is then removed by thinning to the layer 106 which serves as a barrier and protective layer.
• the device shown in FIG. 3 is then obtained.
• the array of detectors according to the invention makes it possible to process the maximum of incident light.
• the whole illuminated face advantageously provided with an anti-reflective layer, transmits the light which it receives inside the structure.
• the separation of the spectral ranges does not require any external optical component, nor filter, nor prism.
• the matrix keeps its resolution whatever the number of spectral ranges chosen.
• the number of semiconductor layers determines the number of spectral ranges, but does not change the thickness or the weight of the photodetector array.

Landscapes

• Solid State Image Pick-Up Elements (AREA)
• Light Receiving Elements (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32406204

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2002
  • 2002-12-19 FR FR0216178A patent/FR2849273B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-12-17 US US10/540,334 patent/US7352043B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-12-17 EP EP03809998A patent/EP1573821A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-12-17 WO PCT/FR2003/050186 patent/WO2004057675A1/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events