# US 10,312,399 B2 · Photodiode with decreased dark current and method for manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 10,312,399 B2
- Document ID: US10312399B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/913,840
- Filed: 2018-03-06
- Published: 2018-09-06
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-06
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.; Korea University Research and Business Foundation
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.; Korea University Research and Business Foundation
- Inventors: Hyun-Yong Yu; Hwan-Jun Zang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312399B2

## CPC

- H10F 30/2823: {the devices being conductor-insulator-semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes or charge-coupled devices [CCD] (Insulated-gate field-effect transistors H10F30/282)}
- H10F 30/2275: {being a metal-semiconductor-metal [MSM] Schottky barrier}
- H10F 30/24: the devices having only two potential barriers, e.g. bipolar phototransistors
- H10F 77/122: comprising only Group IV materials
- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A photodiode having a reduced dark current includes a semiconductor layer, a first contact part, a second contact part, and an active region. The first contact part disposed in a first region of the semiconductor layer includes an interlayer and at least one metal layer. The second contact part disposed in a second region of the semiconductor layer includes at least one metal layer. The active region is disposed between the first contact part and the second contact part. The first contact part and the second contact part are arranged asymmetrical to each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photodiode comprising:
a semiconductor layer;
a first contact part with an interlayer and at least one metal layer disposed in a first region of the semiconductor layer, the interlayer being disposed between the semiconductor layer and the at least one metal layer;
a second contact part comprising at least one metal layer disposed directly on the semiconductor layer in a second region of the semiconductor layer; and
an active region disposed between the first contact part and the second contact part,
wherein the first contact part is a finger of a cathode electrode of an interdigitated photodiode, and the second contact part is a finger of an anode electrode of the interdigitated photodiode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, wherein the first contact part is connected to a cathode, and the second contact part is connected to an anode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, wherein the conduction band offset (CBO) between the semiconductor layer and the interlayer is less than 1.0 eV.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, wherein the CBO between the semiconductor layer and the interlayer is less than 0.1 eV.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, wherein the interlayer includes TiO2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes germanium (Ge).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The photodiode of claim 1, further comprising:
an interlayer dielectric film disposed over the semiconductor layer,
wherein the interlayer dielectric film is etched in each of the first region and the second region.

### Claim 8

A method for manufacturing a photodiode, comprising:
depositing an interlayer dielectric film over a semiconductor layer;
etching a first region in the interlayer dielectric film;
depositing an interlayer material over the etched first region and the interlayer dielectric film;
exposing the interlayer dielectric film by removing portions of the interlayer material disposed on the interlayer dielectric film;
etching a second region separated from the first region in the interlayer dielectric film to expose the semiconductor layer;
depositing a first metal layer over the interlayer material of the first region; and
depositing a second metal layer over the exposed semiconductor layer of the second region,
wherein the first contact part is a finger of a cathode electrode of an interdigitated photodiode, and the second contact part is a finger of an anode electrode of the interdigitated photodiode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a conductive band offset (CBO) between the interlayer material and the semiconductor layer is 1.0 eV or less.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a conductive band offset (CBO) between the interlayer material and the semiconductor layer is 0.1 eV or less.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the interlayer material includes TiO2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
etching the first region includes wet-etching the first region; and
etching the second region includes wet-etching the second region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein exposing the interlayer dielectric film by removing portions of the interlayer material disposed on the interlayer dielectric film includes:
dry-etching the interlayer material.