# US 10,483,473 B2 · Electronic device and solid state imaging apparatus

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- Number: US 10,483,473 B2
- Document ID: US10483473B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/741,236
- Filed: 2016-05-20
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-08
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Toshiki Moriwaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483473B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/08: Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence)
- H10F 39/12: Image sensors
- H10K 30/82: Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
- H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors
- H04N 25/63: applied to dark current
- H10K 71/164: {using vacuum deposition}
- H10K 85/6572: {comprising only nitrogen in the heteroaromatic polycondensed ring system, e.g. phenanthroline or carbazole}
- H10K 2102/103: {comprising indium oxides, e.g. ITO}
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic device including a first electrode 21, a second electrode 22, and a photoelectric conversion layer 23 held between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22. The first electrode 21 is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV, preferably from 5.5 to 5.9 eV, more preferably 5.8 to 5.9 eV.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV, and
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and at least one metal species selected from a group consisting of cerium, gallium, tungsten, and titanium, with the metal species accounting for 0.5 to 10 atom % of a total amount, 100 atom % of indium and the metal species.

### Claim 2

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV, and
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and cobalt, with the cobalt accounting for 10 to 30 atom % of a total amount, 100 atom % of indium and cobalt.

### Claim 3

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the first electrode has a specific resistance smaller than 1×10−2 Ω·cm,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and at least one metal species selected from a group consisting of cerium, gallium, tungsten, and titanium, with the metal species accounting for 0.5 to 10 atom % of a total amount, 100 atom % of indium and the metal species,
the first electrode has a refractive index of 1.9 to 2.2, and
the first electrode has a surface roughness Ra no larger than 1 nm.

### Claim 4

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the transparent conductive material is formed from a material composed of indium oxide and cerium added thereto, and
the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 5×10−8 to 2×10−7 m and a specific resistance no smaller than 1×10−3 Ω·cm and smaller than 1×10−2 Ω·cm.

### Claim 5

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and gallium added thereto, and
the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 5×10−8 to 1.5×10−7 m and a specific resistance ranging from 1×10−5 to 1×10−3 Ω·cm.

### Claim 6

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and tungsten added thereto, and
the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 5×10−8 to 2×10−7 m and a specific resistance ranging from 1×10−4 to 1×10−3 Ω·cm.

### Claim 7

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and titanium added thereto, and
the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 5×10−8 to 2×10−7 m and a specific resistance ranging from 1×10−4 to 1×10−3 Ω·cm.

### Claim 8

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and cobalt added thereto, and
the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 5×10−8 to 2×10−7 m and a specific resistance ranging from 1×10−4 to 1×10−3 Ω·cm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 1×10−8 to 2×10−7 m.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electronic device as defined in claim 9, wherein the first electrode has the thickness ranging from 2×10−8 to 1×10−7 m.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode have respective work functions such that a result of subtraction of a work function of the second electrode from a work function of the first electrode is no smaller than 0.4 eV.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein
the first electrode and the second electrode have respective work functions such that a result of subtraction of a work function of the second electrode from a work function of the first electrode is no smaller than 0.4 eV, and
a difference in the work functions causes the photoelectric conversion layer to generate an internal electric field to improve an internal quantum efficiency.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the second electrode has a work function no larger than 5.0 eV.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed from indium-tin complex oxide, indium-zinc complex oxide, or tin oxide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The electronic device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first electrode contains oxygen in an amount less than a stoichiometric content.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A solid state imaging apparatus which has the electronic device defined in claim 1.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first electrode has a thickness ranging from 1×10−8 to 2×10−7 m.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The electronic device as defined in claim 17, wherein the first electrode has the thickness ranging from 2×10−8 to 1×10−7 m.

### Claim 19 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode have respective work functions such that a result of subtraction of a work function of the second electrode from a work function of the first electrode is no smaller than 0.4 eV.

### Claim 20 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein
the first electrode and the second electrode have respective work functions such that a result of subtraction of a work function of the second electrode from a work function of the first electrode is no smaller than 0.4 eV, and
a difference in the work functions causes the photoelectric conversion layer to generate an internal electric field to improve an internal quantum efficiency.

### Claim 21 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the second electrode has a work function no larger than 5.0 eV.

### Claim 22 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the second electrode is formed from indium-tin complex oxide, indium-zinc complex oxide, or tin oxide.

### Claim 23 (depends on 2)

The electronic device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first electrode contains oxygen in an amount less than a stoichiometric content.

### Claim 24 (depends on 2)

A solid state imaging apparatus which has the electronic device defined in claim 2.

### Claim 25

An electronic device, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein
the first electrode is formed from a transparent conductive material having a work function ranging from 5.2 to 5.9 eV,
the first electrode has a specific resistance smaller than 1×10−2 Ω·cm,
the transparent conductive material is composed of indium oxide and cobalt, with the cobalt accounting for 10 to 30 atom % of a total amount, 100 atom % of indium and cobalt,
the first electrode has a refractive index of 1.9 to 2.2, and
the first electrode has a surface roughness Ra no larger than 1 nm.