# US 11,910,623 B2 · Photoelectric conversion element and manufacturing method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,623 B2 - Document ID: US11910623B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/274,414 - Filed: 2019-09-26 - Published: 2021-08-19 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-01 - Assignees: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited - Applicants: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited - Inventors: Giovanni Ferrara; Miki Nishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910623B2 ## CPC - H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors - H10F 39/12: Image sensors - H10K 30/81: Electrodes - H10K 85/211: {Fullerenes, e.g. C60} - G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints - G06V 40/1318: {using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing} - H10K 30/152: {the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising zinc oxide, e.g. ZnO} - H10K 30/30: comprising bulk heterojunctions, e.g. interpenetrating networks of donor and acceptor material domains - H10K 85/113: {Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene} - H10K 85/215: {comprising substituents, e.g. PCBM} - Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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 To reduce the dark current ratio. A photoelectric conversion element 10 including an anode 16, a cathode 12, an active layer 14 provided between the anode and the cathode, and at least one electron transportation layer 13 provided between the active layer and the cathode, in which the electron transportation layer contains an insulating material and a semiconductor material; a difference between a work function of the electron transportation layer and a work function of the cathode is 0.88 eV or more; the active layer contains a p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material; and a work function of the electron transportation layer (Wf1) and an energy level of a lowest occupied molecular orbital of the n-type semiconductor material (LUMO) satisfy the following Formula (2): |LUMO|−Wf1≥0.06 eV (2). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric conversion element comprising an anode, a cathode, an active layer provided between the anode and the cathode, and at least one electron transportation layer provided between the active layer and the cathode, wherein one layer of the at least one electron transportation layer contains an insulating material and a semiconductor material; and a work function of the one layer (Wf1) and a work function of the cathode (Wf2) satisfy the following Formula (1): Wf2−Wf1≥0.88 eV (1); the active layer contains a p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material; and the work function of the electron transportation layer (Wf1) and an energy level of a lowest occupied molecular orbital of the n-type semiconductor material (LUMO) satisfy the following Formula (2): |LUMO|−Wf1≥0.06 eV (2). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the electron transportation layer is a layer cured by subjecting a coating film containing the insulating material, the semiconductor material, and a solvent having a boiling point of 68° C. or more to dry treatment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 2, wherein the solvent includes an alcohol solvent having a pKa of 15.5 or more. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 3, wherein the alcohol solvent includes one or more alcohol solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, 2-propanol, and 3-pentanol. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method for producing the photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, the method comprising a step of applying a coating liquid containing the insulating material, the semiconductor material, and a solvent having a boiling point of 68° C. or more to form a coating film and subjecting the coating film to dry treatment to cure the coating film, thus forming the electron transportation layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method for producing a photoelectric conversion element according to claim 5, wherein the insulating material is a polymer having an amino group or an alkoxy group. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method for producing a photoelectric conversion element according to claim 6, wherein the insulating material is ethoxylated polyethyleneimine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method for producing a photoelectric conversion element according to claim 5, wherein the solvent includes an alcohol solvent having a pKa of or more. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method for producing a photoelectric conversion element according to claim 8, wherein the alcohol solvent include one or more alcohol solvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, 2-propanol, and 3-pentanol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method for producing a photoelectric conversion element according to claim 5, wherein the semiconductor material is one or more oxide semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of ZnO, AZO, and GZO. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the n-type semiconductor material is a fullerene derivative. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 11, wherein the fullerene derivative is C60PCBM. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the insulating material is a polymer having an amino group or an alkoxy group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 13, wherein the insulating material is ethoxylated polyethyleneimine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion element is a photodetection element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An image sensor comprising the photoelectric conversion element according to claim 15. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A fingerprint authentication device comprising the photoelectric conversion element according to claim 15. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein a work function of the insulating material (Wf3), the work function of the electron transportation layer (Wf1), and a work function of the semiconductor material (Wf4) satisfy the following Formulae (3) and (4): Wf3>Wf1 (3) Wf3