# US 11,079,476 B2 · Light-receiving element and distance measurement module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,476 B2 - Document ID: US11079476B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/504,875 - Filed: 2019-07-08 - Published: 2020-01-23 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-18 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Tsutomu Imoto; Yuji Isogai; Takuya Maruyama; Takuro Murase; Ryota Watanabe; Takeshi Yamazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079476B2 ## CPC - G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone} - G01S 17/32: using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - H10F 30/21: the devices being sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation - H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes} - H10F 39/8033: {Photosensitive area} - H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers} - H10F 77/413: {directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42)} - H10F 77/93: {Interconnections} - H10F 77/957: {for position-sensitive photodetectors, e.g. lateral-effect photodiodes or quadrant photodiodes} - G01S 15/08: Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) - H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding} - H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A light-receiving element includes an on-chip lens; an interconnection layer; and a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the on-chip lens and the interconnection layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first voltage application unit to which a first voltage is applied, a second voltage application unit to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied, a first charge detection unit that is disposed at the periphery of the first voltage application unit, a second charge detection unit that is disposed at the periphery of the second voltage application unit, and a charge discharge region that is provided on an outer side of an effective pixel region. For example, the present technology is applicable to a light-receiving element that generates distance information in a ToF method, or the like. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light-receiving element, comprising: an on-chip lens; an interconnection layer; and a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the on-chip lens and the interconnection layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes: a first voltage application unit to which a first voltage is applied; a second voltage application unit to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied; a first charge detection unit that is disposed at a periphery of the first voltage application unit; a second charge detection unit that is disposed at a periphery of the second voltage application unit; and a charge discharge region that is provided on an outer side of an effective pixel region, wherein the charge discharge region includes a light-shielding pixel that is driven. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the interconnection layer includes at least one layer including a reflection member, and the reflection member is provided to overlap the first charge detection unit or the second charge detection unit in a plan view. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the interconnection layer includes at least one layer including a light-shielding member, and the light-shielding member is provided to overlap the first charge detection unit or the second charge detection unit in a plan view. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the charge discharge region includes an opening pixel that is driven. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the charge discharge region includes a high-concentration N-type region to which a zero or positive voltage is applied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, further comprising a P-well region, which is in contact with an insulating film at the periphery of the first and second charge detection units, at a boundary portion of pixels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The light-receiving element according to claim 6, wherein the P-well region has an impurity concentration higher than an impurity concentration of a photoelectric conversion region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, further comprising an N-type diffusion layer, to which a zero or positive voltage is applied, in a gap region between a P-well region in which a pixel transistor is formed and an insulating film at the periphery of the first and second charge detection units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The light-receiving element according to claim 8, wherein the N-type diffusion layer is disposed to be shared by a pixel column inside the effective pixel region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The light-receiving element according to claim 8, wherein the N-type diffusion layer is disposed in a pixel outside the effective pixel region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The light-receiving element according to claim 8, wherein the N-type diffusion layer is disposed in each pixel inside the effective pixel region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the first and second voltage application units are constituted by first and second P-type semiconductor regions each formed in the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein the first and second voltage application units are constituted by first and second transfer transistors each formed in the semiconductor layer. ### Claim 14 A distance measurement module, comprising: a light-receiving element including an on-chip lens, an interconnection layer, and a semiconductor layer that is disposed between the on-chip lens and the interconnection layer, the semiconductor layer including a first voltage application unit to which a first voltage is applied, a second voltage application unit to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is applied, a first charge detection unit that is disposed at a periphery of the first voltage application unit, a second charge detection unit that is disposed at a periphery of the second voltage application unit, and a charge discharge region that is provided on an outer side of an effective pixel region, wherein the charge discharge region includes a light-shielding pixel that is driven; a light source that emits irradiation light of which brightness periodically fluctuates; and a light-emission control unit that controls an irradiation timing of the irradiation light.