# US 12,183,752 B2 · Array substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,752 B2 - Document ID: US12183752B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/419,294 - Filed: 2021-05-24 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-08 - Assignees: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Fuhsiung Tang; Fan Gong; Fei Ai; Jiyue Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183752B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/80377: {characterised by the channel of the transistor, e.g. channel having a doping gradient} - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract An array substrate is disclosed. The array substrate includes a semiconductor layer integrated with a PIN photoelectric diode and an active area. The PIN photoelectric diode includes a P-type semiconductor area, an N-type semiconductor area, and an I-type semiconductor area defined between the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area. A gate electric current is introduced at a location corresponding to the I-type semiconductor area, so as to enhance light sensitivity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An array substrate, comprising: a substrate; a light shielding layer disposed on the substrate in a vertical direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate and including a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed at an interval in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a semiconductor layer disposed over the light shielding layer in the vertical direction, wherein an active area and a photosensitive area are defined in the semiconductor layer and in direct contact with each other, the active area includes a channel area, the photosensitive area includes a P-type semiconductor area, a N-type semiconductor area, and an I-type semiconductor area arranged in the horizontal direction, the I-type semiconductor area is defined between the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area, the channel area overlaps the first light shielding layer in the vertical direction, and the I-type semiconductor area overlaps the second light shielding layer in the vertical direction; a first conductive layer disposed above the semiconductor layer in the vertical direction, wherein the first conductive layer includes a source and a drain extending in the vertical direction and respectively connected to the active area and the P-type semiconductor area in the semiconductor layer; a passivation layer disposed above the first conductive layer in the vertical direction; and an auxiliary adjusting electrode adjacent to and spaced apart from the first conductive layer in the horizontal direction, wherein the auxiliary adjusting electrode penetrates the passivation layer and extends in the vertical direction downwardly to be connected to the second light shielding layer and serve as the gate of a PIN photoelectric diode formed of the P-type semiconductor area, the N-type semiconductor area, and the I-type semiconductor area in the photosensitive area, to introduce a gate electric current at a location of the second light shielding layer directly below the I-type semiconductor area, thereby adjusting a Fermi energy level of the I-type semiconductor area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The array substrate as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a gate layer disposed above the substrate, wherein the gate layer overlaps the channel area in the vertical direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The array substrate as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: a second conductive layer at least partially above the passivation layer, wherein the second conductive layer comprises an adjusting electrode above the passivation layer and the auxiliary adjusting electrode, and wherein the adjusting electrode overlaps the I-type semiconductor area in the vertical direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The array substrate as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second conductive layer further includes an upper electrode, and the array substrate further includes a lower electrode disposed on the drain, the upper electrode at least partially overlaps the lower electrode in the vertical direction, and a storage capacitor is formed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The array substrate as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first conductive layer further includes a metal wire, and the second conductive layer further includes pixel electrodes connected to the metal wire. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The array substrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active area further includes a first heavily doped area, a first lightly doped area, a second lightly doped area, and a second heavily doped area, the first lightly doped area and the second lightly doped area are each defined on one side of the channel area, respectively, the first heavily doped area is defined on a side of the first lightly doped area away from the channel area, and the second heavily doped area is defined on a side of the second lightly doped area away from the channel area; and one of the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area is connected to the second heavily doped area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The array substrate as claimed in claim 6, wherein the P-type semiconductor area or the N-type semiconductor area connected to the second heavily doped area is made of same material as the second heavily doped area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The array substrate as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a gate layer disposed above the substrate, wherein the gate layer overlaps the channel area in the vertical direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The array substrate as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a second conductive layer at least partially above the passivation layer, wherein the second conductive layer comprises an adjusting electrode above the passivation layer and the auxiliary adjusting electrode, and wherein the adjusting electrode overlaps the I-type semiconductor area in the vertical direction. ### Claim 10 An array substrate, comprising: a substrate; a light shielding layer disposed on the substrate in a vertical direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate and including a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed at an interval in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a buffer layer disposed above the substrate in the vertical direction and covering the light shielding layer; a semiconductor layer disposed on the buffer layer in the vertical direction and defining an active area and a photosensitive area in direct contact with each other, wherein the active area includes a channel area, the photosensitive area includes a P-type semiconductor area, a N-type semiconductor area, and an I-type semiconductor area defined between the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area in the horizontal direction, the channel area overlaps the first light shielding layer in the vertical direction, and the I-type semiconductor area overlaps the second light shielding layer in the vertical direction; a gate insulating layer disposed on the buffer layer and covering the semiconductor layer; a gate layer disposed on the gate insulating layer and located corresponding to the channel area; a layer insulating layer disposed on the gate insulating layer and covering the gate layer; a first conductive layer disposed on the semiconductor layer in the vertical direction, wherein the first conductive layer includes a source and a drain penetrating the layer insulating layer in the vertical direction, extending through the gate insulating layer in the vertical direction and respectively connected to the active area and the P-type semiconductor area in the semiconductor layer; a passivation layer disposed above the first conductive layer in the vertical direction; and an auxiliary adjusting electrode adjacent to and spaced apart from the first conductive layer in the horizontal direction, wherein the auxiliary adjusting electrode penetrates the passivation layer and extends in the vertical direction downwardly to be connected to the second light shielding layer and serve as the gate of a PIN photoelectric diode formed of the P-type semiconductor area, the N-type semiconductor area, and the I-type semiconductor area in the photosensitive area, to introduce a gate electric current at a location of the light shielding layer directly below the I-type semiconductor area, thereby adjusting a Fermi energy level of the I-type semiconductor area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The array substrate as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a second conductive layer at least partially above the passivation layer, wherein the second conductive layer includes an adjusting electrode above the passivation layer and the auxiliary adjusting electrode, and wherein the adjusting electrode overlaps the I-type semiconductor area in the vertical direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The array substrate as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a second conductive layer at least partially above the passivation layer, wherein the second conductive layer includes an upper electrode above the passivation layer and the auxiliary adjusting electrode, and the array substrate further includes a lower electrode disposed on the drain, the upper electrode at least partially overlaps the lower electrode in the vertical direction, and a storage capacitor is formed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The array substrate as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first conductive layer further includes a metal wire, and the second conductive layer further includes pixel electrodes connected to the metal wire. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The array substrate as claimed in claim 10, wherein the active area further includes a first heavily doped area, a first lightly doped area, a second lightly doped area, and a second heavily doped area, the first lightly doped area and the second lightly doped area are each defined on one side of the channel area, respectively, the first heavily doped area is defined on a side of the first lightly doped area away from the channel area, and the second heavily doped area is defined on a side of the second lightly doped area away from the channel area; and one of the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area is connected to the second heavily doped area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The array substrate as claimed in claim 14, wherein the P-type semiconductor area or the N-type semiconductor area connected to the second heavily doped area is made of same material as the second heavily doped area. ### Claim 16 An array substrate, comprising: a substrate; a light shielding layer disposed on the substrate in a vertical direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate and including a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed at an interval in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a buffer layer disposed above the substrate in the vertical direction and covering the light shielding layer; a semiconductor layer disposed on the buffer layer in the vertical direction and defining an active area and a photosensitive area in direct contact with each other, wherein the active area includes the channel area, the photosensitive area includes a P-type semiconductor area, a N-type semiconductor area, and the I-type semiconductor area defined between the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area in the horizontal direction, the channel area overlaps the first light shielding layer in the vertical direction, and the I-type semiconductor area overlaps the second light shielding layer in the vertical direction; a gate insulating layer disposed on the buffer layer and covering the semiconductor layer; a gate layer disposed on the gate insulating layer and located corresponding to the channel area; a layer insulating layer disposed on the gate insulating layer and covering the gate layer; a first conductive layer disposed above the semiconductor layer in the vertical direction, wherein the first conductive layer includes a source and a drain penetrating the layer insulating layer in the vertical direction, extending through the gate insulating layer in the vertical direction and respectively connected to the active area and the P-type semiconductor area in the semiconductor layer; a passivation layer disposed above the first conductive layer in the vertical direction; and an adjusting electrode adjacent to and spaced apart from the first conductive layer in the horizontal direction, wherein the adjusting electrode penetrates the passivation layer and extends in the vertical direction downwardly to be connected to the second light shielding layer and serve as the gate of a PIN photoelectric diode formed of the P-type semiconductor area, the N-type semiconductor area, and the I-type semiconductor area in the photosensitive area, to introduce a gate electric current at a location of the second light shielding layer directly below the I-type semiconductor area, thereby adjusting a Fermi energy level of the I-type semiconductor area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The array substrate as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a second conductive layer at least partially above the passivation layer, wherein the second conductive layer includes an upper electrode above the passivation layer and the adjusting electrode, and the array substrate further includes a lower electrode disposed on the drain, the upper electrode at least partially overlaps the lower electrode in the vertical direction, and a storage capacitor is formed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The array substrate as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first conductive layer further includes a metal wire, and the second conductive layer further includes pixel electrodes connected to the metal wire. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The array substrate as claimed in claim 16, wherein the active area further includes a first heavily doped area, a first lightly doped area, a second lightly doped area, and a second heavily doped area, the first lightly doped area and the second lightly doped area are each defined on one side of the channel area, respectively, the first heavily doped area is defined on a side of the first lightly doped area away from the channel area, and the second heavily doped area is defined on a side of the second lightly doped area away from the channel area; and one of the P-type semiconductor area and the N-type semiconductor area is connected to the second heavily doped area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The array substrate as claimed in claim 19, wherein the P-type semiconductor area or the N-type semiconductor area connected to the second heavily doped area is made of same material as the second heavily doped area.