# US 10,872,997 B2 · Photodetector comprising a stack of vertically adjacent layers

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- Number: US 10,872,997 B2
- Document ID: US10872997B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/762,940
- Filed: 2016-09-23
- Published: 2018-08-16
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-25
- Assignees: Thales; Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Applicants: Thales; Commissariat à L'éNergie Atomique Et Aux éNergies Alternatives
- Inventors: Jean-Luc Reverchon; Philippe Bois
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872997B2

## CPC

- H10F 30/222: the potential barrier being a PN heterojunction
- H10F 30/10: the devices being sensitive to infrared radiation, visible or ultraviolet radiation, and having no potential barriers, e.g. photoresistors
- H10F 77/1248: {having three or more elements, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs or InGaAsP}
- H10F 77/14: Shape of semiconductor bodies; Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of semiconductor regions within semiconductor bodies
- H10F 77/306: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

Disclosed is a photodetector which includes, in series along a stacking direction: a first layer forming a substrate of a first semiconductor material; a second layer forming a photoabsorbent layer of a second semiconductor material having a second gap; a third layer forming a barrier layer of a third semiconductor material; and a fourth layer forming a window layer of a fourth semiconductor material, the first material, the third material and the fourth material each having a gap larger than the second gap, the fourth material being n-doped or non-doped and the third material being non-doped or lightly p-doped when the second material is n-doped, and the fourth material being p-doped or non-doped and the third material being non-doped or lightly n-doped when the second material is p-doped.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photodetector comprising:
a stack of superimposed layers comprising, successively in a stacking direction:
a first layer forming a substrate made of a first semiconductor material,
a second layer forming a photo-absorbent layer made of a second semiconductor material having a second gap,
a third layer forming a barrier layer made of a third semiconductor material, and
a fourth layer forming a window layer made of a fourth semiconductor material, the window layer being a barrier layer enabling reduction of parasitic effects of surface recombination of electrostatic shielding associated with electrical doping of the fourth layer,
the first material, the third material, and the fourth material each having a gap greater than the second gap,
the fourth material being n-doped or undoped and the third material being undoped or weakly p-doped when the second material is n-doped, and
the fourth material being p-doped or undoped and the third material being undoped or slightly n-doped when the second material is p-doped,
wherein a doping rate of the fourth material is between 1015 cm−3 and 1017 cm−3.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the fourth layer in the stacking direction is between 100 nanometers and 500 nanometers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The photodetector according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the fourth layer in the stacking direction is between 200 nanometers and 300 nanometers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth layer superimposed on the fourth layer, the fourth layer being between the third layer and the fifth layer, and the fifth layer forming a passivation layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, further comprising:
a sixth layer superimposed on the fourth layer, the fourth layer being between the third layer and the sixth layer, the sixth layer forming a passivation layer,
a seventh layer superimposed on the sixth layer, the seventh layer forming a current collection layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the stack of layers comprises contacts made of semiconductor material, each contact having an end portion in contact with the third layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The photodetector according to claim 6, further comprising guard rings surrounding the contacts.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the fourth layer has diffused zones, the stack of layers comprising contacts made of semiconductor material conductor, each contact having an end portion in contact with at least one diffused zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the second material, the third material, and the fourth material are semiconductor materials based on columns IIIA and VA of the Periodic Table.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the fourth material is of the form GaSbyAs1-y, y being a number between 0 and 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The photodetector according to claim 10, wherein the fourth material is gallium antimonide (GaSb).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method of manufacturing the photodetector according to claim 1, the method comprising:
for each of the layers, an epitaxial growth step.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The photodetector according to claim 1, wherein the fourth layer has openings distributed at regular intervals on the fourth layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The photodetector according to claim 13, wherein each of the openings traverses integrally through the fourth layer in the stacking direction, each of the openings delimiting a portion of the third layer.