# US 12,114,516 B2 · Photoelectric conversion element, method of manufacturing the same, solid state image sensor, electronic device, and solar cell

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- Number: US 12,114,516 B2
- Document ID: US12114516B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/648,543
- Filed: 2022-01-20
- Published: 2022-05-12
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-24
- Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Inventors: Yukio Kaneda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114516B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
- H10F 39/12: Image sensors
- H10F 39/182: {Colour image sensors}
- H10F 39/192: {Colour image sensors}
- H10F 39/8033: {Photosensitive area}
- H10K 30/353: {comprising blocking layers, e.g. exciton blocking layers}
- H10K 30/82: Transparent electrodes, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes
- H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors
- H10F 39/191: {Photoconductor image sensors}
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- 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

The present technology relates to, in a photoelectric conversion element using a photoelectric conversion film, the photoelectric conversion element and a method of manufacturing the same, a solid state image sensor, an electronic device, and a solar cell, for enabling improvement of quantum efficiency. The photoelectric conversion element includes two electrodes constituting an anode and a cathode, and a photoelectric conversion layer arranged between the two electrodes, and at least one electrode side of the two electrodes is doped with an impurity at impurity density of 1e16/cm3 or more in the photoelectric conversion layer. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a solid state image sensor, an electronic device, a solar cell and the like.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photoelectric conversion element, comprising:
a first electrode configured to collect holes;
a second electrode configured to collect electrons;
a first photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second photoelectric conversion layer between the first photoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode; and
a third photoelectric conversion layer between the first photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode, wherein
each of the first photoelectric conversion layer, second photoelectric conversion layer, and the third photoelectric conversion layer comprises an electron donating material and an electron accepting material,
the second photoelectric conversion layer is doped with an electron accepting impurity, different from the electron accepting material, exhibiting an electron accepting property at an impurity density of at least 1e16/cm3, and
the third photoelectric conversion layer is doped with an electron donating impurity, different from the electron donating material, exhibiting an electron donating property at an impurity density of at least 1e16/cm3.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein
the second photoelectric conversion layer is doped with the electron accepting impurity exhibiting the electron accepting property at an impurity density of at least 1e17/cm3, and
the third photoelectric conversion layer is doped with the electron donating impurity exhibiting the electron donating property at an impurity density of at least 1e17/cm3.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode serves as a cathode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode serves as an anode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode has a potential higher than a potential of the first electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, further comprising a hole blocking layer between the second electrode and the third photoelectric conversion layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 6, wherein a thickness of the hole blocking layer is between 10 nm and 200 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, further comprising an electron blocking layer between the first electrode and the second photoelectric conversion layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the electron blocking layer is between 10 nm and 200 nm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode, the first photoelectric conversion layer, the second photoelectric conversion layer, the third photoelectric conversion layer, and the second electrode are laminated.

### Claim 11

A solid state image sensor, comprising:
a photoelectric conversion element comprising:
a first electrode configured to collect holes;
a second electrode configured to collect electrons;
a first photoelectric conversion layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second photoelectric conversion layer between the first photoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode; and
a third photoelectric conversion layer between the first photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode, wherein
each of the first photoelectric conversion layer, second photoelectric conversion layer, and the third photoelectric conversion layer comprises an electron donating material and an electron accepting material,
the second photoelectric conversion layer is doped with an electron accepting impurity, different from the electron accepting material, exhibiting an electron accepting property at an impurity density of at least 1e16/cm3, and
the third photoelectric conversion layer is doped with an electron donating impurity, different from the electron donating material, exhibiting an electron donating property at an impurity density of at least 1e16/cm3.