# US 12,183,749 B2 · Photoelectric conversion device and X-ray imaging device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,749 B2 - Document ID: US12183749B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/677,303 - Filed: 2022-02-22 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-09 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Fumiki Nakano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183749B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes} - H10D 30/6729: {characterised by the electrodes} - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/195: {X-ray, gamma-ray or corpuscular radiation imagers} - H10F 39/80377: {characterised by the channel of the transistor, e.g. channel having a doping gradient} - H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding} - H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion area in which photoelectric conversion elements each including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer, provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, that contains a semiconductor material are provided in a matrix and a guard ring surrounding a periphery of the photoelectric conversion area in a form of a frame. The guard ring has an intermediate layer containing the same semiconductor material as the photoelectric conversion layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a photoelectric conversion area in which photoelectric conversion elements each including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photoelectric conversion layer, provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, that contains a semiconductor material are provided in a matrix; and a guard ring surrounding a periphery of the photoelectric conversion area in a form of a frame, wherein the guard ring has an intermediate layer containing the same semiconductor material as the photoelectric conversion layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the guard ring has at least one electrically-conductive layer, stacked at a lower layer or a higher layer than the intermediate layer, that contains the same electrical conducting material as at least either the first electrode or the second electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically-conductive layer comprises a plurality of electrically-conductive layers, the plurality of electrically-conductive layers includes a first layer containing the same electrical conducting material as the first electrode and a second layer containing the same electrical conducting material as the second electrode, and the intermediate layer is provided between the first layer and the second layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer is a structure in which an n-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer are stacked, and the intermediate layer of the guard ring is a structure in which a first intermediate layer containing the same semiconductor material as the n-type semiconductor layer, a second intermediate layer containing the same semiconductor material as the i-type semiconductor layer, and a third intermediate layer containing the same semiconductor material as the p-type semiconductor layer are stacked. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising: a thin-film transistor (TFT) provided in the photoelectric conversion area and electrically connected to a corresponding one of the photoelectric conversion elements; and a wire formed using a material that is identical to a metal layer forming the TFT, wherein the wire extends from a first end to a second end in such a way as to cross the guard ring. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising: thin-film transistors (TFTs), provided in the matrix in the photoelectric conversion area, each of which has a drain electrode, a source electrode, and a gate electrode; and a resin insulating layer covering the TFTs and having a surface provided with the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is connected to at least either the drain electrode or the source electrode via a contact hole formed in the resin insulating layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, further comprising a resin insulating layer, provided at a crossing of the guard ring and the wire and between the guard ring and the wire, that contains an insulative resin material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate electrically-conductive layer provided over the first electrode and between the first electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An X-ray imaging device comprising: the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and a scintillator, provided over the photoelectric conversion device, that emits light according to X-rays falling thereon.