# US 2021/0082973 A1 · Pin photodetector

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- Number: US 2021/0082973 A1
- Document ID: US20210082973A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/086,528
- Filed: 2020-11-02
- Published: 2021-03-18
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-19
- Assignees: Attollo Engineering, LLC
- Applicants: Attollo Engineering, LLC
- Inventors: Jonathan Geske; Andrew Hood; Michael MacDougal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210082973A1

## CPC

- H10F 39/107: {having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays}
- H10F 30/223: the potential barrier being a PIN barrier
- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- H10F 77/148: {Shapes of potential barriers}
- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 77/50: Encapsulations or containers (for photovoltaic modules H10F19/80)
- H10F 77/933: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 77/953: {for devices having potential barriers}
- Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A PIN photodetector includes an n-type semiconductor layer, an n-type semiconductor cap layer, a first plurality of p-type regions located within the n-type semiconductor cap layer and separated from one another by a distance d1, and an absorber layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor cap layer including the first plurality of p-type regions. The plurality of p-type regions are electrically connected to one another to provide an electrical response to light incident to the PIN photodetector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A PIN photodetector comprising:
a first semiconductor layer;
a second semiconductor cap layer;
an array of semiconductor regions located within the second semiconductor cap layer, wherein each of the semiconductors region in the array are separated from one another by approximately the same distance di;
an absorber layer located between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor cap layer including the first plurality of regions; and
wherein one or more electrical responses are generated by the array of semiconductor regions in response to light incident to the PIN photodetector.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The PIN photodetector of claim 1, wherein the array of semiconductor regions is a two-dimensional array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The PIN photodetector of claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor layer is an n-type semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor cap layer is an n-type semiconductor cap layer, and the first plurality of regions are p-type regions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The PIN photodetector of claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, the array of semiconductor regions, and the absorber region are located on a first semiconductor die.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The PIN photodetector of claim 4, wherein connections between the array of semiconductor regions are fabricated as part of the first semiconductor die.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The PIN photodetector of claim 5, further comprising:
an insulating layer located on top of the second semiconductor cap layer and the array of semiconductor regions located within the second semiconductor cap layer;
an array of conductive, vertical vias formed within the insulating layer; and
at least one conductor located on top of the insulating layer, wherein the conductor is in contact with one or more of the array of conductive, vertical vias to provide an output from one or more of the semiconductor regions comprising the array of semiconductor regions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The PIN photodetector of claim 4, further including an electrical contact formed on each of the semiconductor regions included in the array of semiconductor regions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The PIN photodetector of claim 6, further including conductors located on each of the electrical contacts.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The PIN photodetector of claim 8, further including a conductive layer connected to the array of semiconductor regions via the conductors and electrical contacts associated with each of the array of semiconductor regions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The PIN photodetector of claim 9, wherein the conductive layer is included as part of an off-die package.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The PIN photodetector of claim 10, wherein the off-die package is one of an integrated circuit package or a printed circuit board.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The PIN photodetector of claim 1, wherein the array of semiconductor regions generates a plurality of depletion regions within the absorber layer separated by undepleted regions within the absorber layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The PIN photodetector of claim 12, wherein the adjacent depletion regions are separated by a distance d3, wherein the distance d3 is approximately equal to or less than a diffusion length associated with charge carriers in the absorber layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The PIN photodetector of claim 1, further including a guard ring located on the same plane as the array of semiconductor regions, wherein the ring guard surrounds the first plurality of p-type semiconductor regions.

### Claim 15

An optical detection system comprising:
a PIN photodetector comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer;
an n-type semiconductor cap layer
a plurality of p-type diffusion regions diffused within the n-type semiconductor cap layer and separated from one another by a distance d1, the plurality of p-type diffusion regions arranged in a two-dimensional array of diffusion regions;
an absorber layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor cap layer, wherein the plurality of p-type diffusion regions generate a plurality of depletion regions within the absorber layer, wherein each of the depletion regions are separated from adjacent depletion regions by a distance d3; and
a signal conditioning circuit connected to receive the electrical response generated by the PIN photodetector, wherein the signal conditioning circuit is characterized by a bandwidth.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The optical detection system of claim 15, wherein the distance d2 between adjacent depletion regions is selected based on the bandwidth of the signal conditioning circuit and wherein the distance d3 is selected such that the transit time of charge carriers created between the depletion regions is less than 1/bandwidth of the signal conditioning circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The optical detection system of claim 15, wherein the PIN photodetector further includes a plurality of conductors in electrical contact with the plurality of p-type diffusion regions to provide an electrical response to charge carriers collected by the plurality of p-type diffusion regions.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The optical detection system of claim 15, wherein the electrical connection of the plurality of p-type diffusion regions is made within a packaging or carrier associated with the PIN photodetector.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The optical detection system of claim 15 wherein the PIN photodetector further comprises:
an insulating layer located on top of the n-type cap layer and the plurality of p-type diffusion regions located within the n-type semiconductor cap layer;
an array of conductive, vertical vias formed within the insulating layer; and
one or more conductive layer located on top of the insulating layer, wherein the one or more conductive layer are in contact with the array of conductive, vertical vias to provide an output or plurality of outputs from the array of semiconductor regions to the signal conditioning circuit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The optical detection system of claim 15, wherein the PIN photodetector further comprises:
a plurality of electrical contacts, each electrical contact associated with one of the p -type diffusion regions; and
a plurality of conductors, each conductor associated with one of the plurality of electrical contacts.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The optical detection system of claim 20, further comprising:
one or more conductive layers connected to the array of semiconductor regions via the conductors and electrical contacts associated with each of the array of semiconductor regions, wherein the conductive layer is included as part of an off-die package brought into contact with the PIN photodetector