# US 10,872,928 B2 · Method of manufacturing an enhanced high performance image sensor device

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- Number: US 10,872,928 B2
- Document ID: US10872928B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/549,392
- Filed: 2019-08-23
- Published: 2020-03-05
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-30
- Assignees: Dpix, LLC
- Applicants: Dpix, LLC
- Inventors: Robert Rodriquez; Shawn Michael O'Rourke; Ick-Hwan Ko; Paul Carey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872928B2

## CPC

- H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors
- H10K 30/30: comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains
- H10K 30/88: Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
- H10K 71/12: using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An image sensor includes a substrate, a thin film transistor on the substrate, a dielectric layer over the thin film transistor, a stacked metal layer on and extending through the dielectric layer to the thin film transistor, a bulk heterojunction layer directly coupled to the stacked metal layer, either a hole transport layer directly coupled to the bulk heterojunction layer, and a top contact layer directly coupled to the hole transport layer, or a top contact layer directly coupled to the bulk heterojunction layer. The bulk heterojunction layer includes an electron donor/acceptor material, the hole transport layer includes a transparent conductive polymer material, and the top contact layer includes a transparent conductive material. The image sensor includes a moisture barrier layer directly coupled to the top contact layer, including an optically clear adhesive and a laminated transparent barrier film.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a thin film transistor on the substrate;
a dielectric layer over the thin film transistor;
a stacked metal layer on and extending through the dielectric layer to the thin film transistor;
a bulk heterojunction layer directly contacting a top layer of the stacked metal layer, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises a single material layer and directly contacts the top layer of the stacked metal layer without an intervening electron transport layer;
a hole transport layer directly contacting the bulk heterojunction layer; and
a top contact layer directly contacting the hole transport layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises an electron donor/acceptor material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the hole transport layer comprises a transparent conductive polymer material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the top contact layer comprises a transparent conductive material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a moisture barrier layer directly coupled to the top contact layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image sensor of claim 5, wherein the moisture barrier layer comprises an optically clear adhesive and a laminated transparent barrier film.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer and the hole transport layer comprise a photodiode having an anode coupled to a bias line of the image sensor.

### Claim 8

An image sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a thin film transistor on the substrate;
a dielectric layer over the thin film transistor;
a stacked metal layer on and extending through the dielectric layer to the thin film transistor;
a hole transport layer directly contacting a top layer of the stacked metal layer;
a bulk heterojunction layer directly contacting the hole transport layer; and
a top contact layer directly contacting the bulk heterojunction layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the hole transport layer comprises a conductive polymer material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises an electron donor/acceptor material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the top contact layer comprises a transparent conductive material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The image sensor of claim 8, further comprising a moisture barrier layer directly coupled to the top contact layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the moisture barrier layer comprises an optically clear adhesive and a laminated transparent barrier film.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer and the hole transport layer comprise a photodiode having a cathode coupled to a bias line of the image sensor.

### Claim 15

An image sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a thin film transistor on the substrate;
a dielectric layer over the thin film transistor;
a stacked metal layer on and extending through the dielectric layer to the thin film transistor;
a bulk heterojunction layer directly contacting a top layer of the stacked metal layer, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises a single material layer and directly contacts the top layer of the stacked metal layer without an intervening electron transport layer;
and a top contact layer directly contacting the bulk heterojunction layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises an electron donor/acceptor material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the top contact layer comprises a transparent conductive material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The image sensor of claim 15, further comprising a moisture barrier layer directly coupled to the top contact layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The image sensor of claim 18, wherein the moisture barrier layer comprises an optically clear adhesive and a laminated transparent barrier film.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The image sensor of claim 15, wherein the bulk heterojunction layer comprises a photodiode coupled to a bias line of the image sensor.