摘要:
An object of the present invention is to provide a high-sensitivity infrared sensor. According to the present invention, a support member for supporting a sensor portion in a cavity structure is formed to be remarkably thin as compared with a conventional structure, a sectional area of the support member is considerably reduced, heat conductance can remarkably be reduced and, as a result, the infrared sensor having a remarkably high sensitivity can be obtained. Moreover, according to the present invention, since an insulating layer of a support member area is etched, and a sacrifice silicon film is embedded in the area, an aspect ratio of an insulating layer RIE for forming a support leg is remarkably reduced. A manufacturing process is facilitated, a sectional area of the support leg is further reduced as a secondary effect, and the sensitivity of the infrared sensor can further be enhanced.
摘要:
In a semiconductor infrared image pick-up system, thermo-sensing sections arrayed in a matrix format are supported by a supporting section above a base substrate in a floating state such that they are thermally independent of the base substrate and of each other. Each thermo-sensing section includes first and second semiconductor layers stacked on an insulating layer to form a pn junction. The second layer is in contact with the first layer via an irregular interface to enlarge the surface area of the pn junction. An infrared image is picked up with reference to a change in electric current flowing through the pn junctions, which is caused when the thermo-sensing sections are irradiated with infrared rays in a state where forward bias voltage is applied to the pn junctions.
摘要:
A multi-wavelength semiconductor image sensor comprises a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.3Te photo-absorbing layer formed on a single crystal CdZnTe substrate, a CdTe isolation layer deposited on the photo-absorbing layer, a p-type Hg0.7Cd0.23Te photo-absorbing layer deposited on the CdTe isolation layer, n+ regions which are formed in these photo-absorbing layers and form a pn-junction with each of these photo-absorbing layers, an indium electrode connected to each of these n+ regions and a ground electrode connected to the photo-absorbing layer, the semiconductor isolation layer being electrically isolated from the photo-absorbing layer.
摘要:
A semiconductor photoelectric converting device and an imaging device using such semiconductor photoelectric converting devices are provided according to the present invention, the semiconductor photoelectric converting device including an electric charge transfer area provided in a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving area formed of a piezoelectric material, electrically connected to the electric charge transfer area and provided in contact with the semiconductor substrate, in which electric charges generated by a piezoelectric effect produced by a strain resulting from heat evolved upon the falling of light onto the light-receiving area are conducted to the charge transfer area.
摘要:
An imaging device comprises a select line, a first signal line crossing the select line, and a first pixel provided at a portion corresponding to a crossing portion of the select line and the first signal line, the first pixel comprising a first buffer layer formed on a substrate, a first bolometer film formed on the first buffer layer, made of a compound which undergoes metal-insulator transition, and generating a first temperature detection signal, a first switching element formed on the substrate, selected by a select signal from the select line, and supplying the first temperature detection signal to the first signal line, and a metal wiring connecting a top surface of the first bolometer film to the first switching element.
摘要:
A sensor device includes a sensor array in which infrared sensors are arrayed and a detection circuit connected to the output signal line of the sensor array. The detection circuit includes a capacitor having a charging circuit which is selectively driven, a sense amplifier circuit which detects and amplifies a change in sensor current flowing to the output signal line, a current-to-voltage conversion circuit which converts the output current from the sense amplifier circuit into a voltage, a discharging circuit which is controlled by the output voltage of the current-to-voltage conversion circuit to discharge the capacitor, and an output circuit which outputs the terminal voltage of the capacitor.
摘要:
An infrared image sensor comprises, a substrate having an image area on which infrared radiation is made incident and an non-image area out of the image area, plural first heat-sensitive parts arranged in rows and columns on the image area, plural second heat-sensitive parts provided in the non-image area so as to correspond to the respective rows of the first heat-sensitive parts in the image area with the same thermoelectric conversion function as that of the first heat-sensitive parts, a bias current supply circuit supplying a bias current to the first heat-sensitive parts and second heat-sensitive parts, an output circuit outputting an electric signal of the first heat-sensitive parts, and a bias current control circuit controlling the bias current to be fed to the first heat-sensitive parts, according to an electric signal of the second heat-sensitive parts.
摘要:
A solid-state infrared imager comprises a matrix array of infrared sensing pixels which are formed as an imaging area on a semiconductor substrate and each of which contains a pn-junction thermoelectric converter element to sense incident infrared radiation, row selection lines each connected to the pixels of a corresponding row, signal lines each connected to the pixels of a corresponding column, a row selection circuit which selects and drives one of the row selection lines, and a signal readout circuit which reads out signal currents output to the signal lines from the pixels corresponding to the row selection line driven by the row selection circuit. Particularly, the signal readout circuit includes a signal line potential stabilizer which stabilizes the potential of the signal line to a constant level, and a current-voltage converter which converts the signal current flowing in a signal line to a signal voltage.
摘要:
A supporting beam line for supporting, afloat in a cavity on a semiconductor substrate, an infrared detection pixel comprising an infrared absorption portion for absorbing an incident infrared ray and converting it into heat and a thermoelectric conversion portion for converting a temperature change caused by the heat generated in the infrared absorption portion into an electric signal is formed by a damascene metal on the same layer as the gate of a damascene metal gate MOS transistor to be used in a peripheral circuit. The supporting beam line comprises a conductor line with U-shaped cross section inside which a metal is filled.
摘要:
A supporting beam line for supporting, afloat in a cavity on a semiconductor substrate, an infrared detection pixel comprising an infrared absorption portion for absorbing an incident infrared ray and converting it into heat and a thermoelectric conversion portion for converting a temperature change caused by the heat generated in the infrared absorption portion into an electric signal is formed by a damascene metal on the same layer as the gate of a damascene metal gate MOS transistor to be used in a peripheral circuit. The supporting beam line comprises a conductor line with U-shaped cross section inside which a metal is filled.