Fill factor opto-sensitive device
AssigneeAvago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
InventorsMilos Davidovic, Wolfgang Gaberl, Robert Swoboda
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Abstract
An opto-sensitive device, a pixel configured for use in an opto-sensitive device, and a method of operating an opto-sensitive device are disclosed. The opto-sensitive device illustratively includes a capacitor stacked on top of a photodetector, thereby improving the fill factor of the opto-sensitive device. Transparent properties of the capacitor for a wavelength of interest ensure that the incident light is completely or mostly absorbed only within the photodetector and not within the capacitor.
Claims20
An opto-sensitive device, comprising:
- a silicon substrate that is at least one of n and p-type doped, the silicon substrate corresponding to a first electrode of a photodetector;
- a second photodetector electrode established within the silicon substrate, wherein the second photodetector electrode is inversely doped with respect to the silicon substrate, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes of the photodetector are capable of releasing electrons in response to receiving incident light of a predetermined wavelength;
- at least one photodetector electrical contact connected to at least one of the first electrode and second electrode of the photodetector, the at least one photodetector electrical contact being configured to carry the electrons released from the at least one of the first and second electrodes;
- and
- a capacitor positioned over the first electrode of the photodetector and the second electrode of the photodetector, wherein the capacitor is formed using Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, wherein the capacitor is at least partially transparent with respect to the predetermined wavelength, wherein the capacitor comprises a first capacitive plate and a dielectric positioned between the first capacitive plate and the second electrode of the photodetector, and wherein the first capacitive plate is included within the photodetector.
A pixel configured for use in an opto-sensitive device, the pixel comprising:
- a photodetector comprising:
- a first electrode that is at least one of n and p-type doped silicon;
- a second electrode that is inversely doped with respect to the first electrode, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes of the photodetector are capable of releasing electrons in response to receiving incident light;
- and
- a capacitor positioned over the first electrode of the photodetector and the second electrode of the photodetector, wherein the capacitor is formed using Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, wherein the capacitor comprises a first capacitive plate and a dielectric positioned between the first capacitive plate and the second photodetector electrode, wherein the first capacitive plate is included within the photodetector, and wherein the capacitor is at least partially transparent with respect to the incident light.
A method of operating an opto-sensitive device manufactured with Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the method comprising:
- receiving incident light at a capacitor comprising, a capacitive plate and a dielectric positioned between the capacitive plate and an electrode of a photodetector;
- allowing at least some of the incident light received at the capacitor to pass through the capacitor;
- receiving the incident light that has passed through the capacitor at the photodetector;
- converting the incident light received at the photodetector into an electrical signal;
- providing the electrical signal to the capacitor that received the incident light;
- integrating the electrical signal with the capacitor that received the incident light;
- and
- providing the integrated electrical signal as an output of the opto-sensitive device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.