# US 9,435,686 B2 · Light detection device having a semiconductor light detection element, a mounting substrate, a glass substrate and a plurality of through-hole electrodes electrically connected to quenching resistors

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- Number: US 9,435,686 B2
- Document ID: US9435686B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/352,429
- Filed: 2012-08-02
- Published: 2014-09-18
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-21
- Assignees: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
- Applicants: Terumasa Nagano; Noburo Hosokawa; Tomofumi Suzuki; Takashi Baba
- Inventors: Terumasa Nagano; Noburo Hosokawa; Tomofumi Suzuki; Takashi Baba
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435686B2

## CPC

- H10F 30/225: the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes
- G01J 1/42: using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10)
- G01T 1/208: Circuits specially adapted for scintillation detectors, e.g. for the photo-multiplier section
- H10D 1/47: Resistors having no potential barriers
- H10F 39/10: Integrated devices
- H10F 39/103: {the at least one element covered by H10F30/00 having potential barriers, e.g. integrated devices comprising photodiodes or phototransistors}
- H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
- H10F 39/189: {X-ray, gamma-ray or corpuscular radiation imagers}
- H10F 39/1898: {Indirect radiation image sensors, e.g. using luminescent members}
- H10F 39/811: {Interconnections}
- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 77/933: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10W 20/0234: {comprising etching via holes that stop on pads or on electrodes}
- H10W 20/0242: {comprising etching via holes from the back sides of the chips, wafers or substrates}
- H10W 20/023: {the interconnections being through-semiconductor vias}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor light detection element includes a plurality of avalanche photodiodes operating in Geiger mode and formed in a semiconductor substrate, quenching resistors connected in series to the respective avalanche photodiodes and arranged on a first principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of through-hole electrodes electrically connected to the quenching resistors and formed so as to penetrate the semiconductor substrate from the first principal surface side to a second principal surface side. A mounting substrate includes a plurality of electrodes arranged corresponding to the respective through-hole electrodes on a third principal surface side. The through-hole electrodes and the electrodes are electrically connected through bump electrodes, and a side surface of the semiconductor substrate and a side surface of a glass substrate are flush with each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light detection device comprising:
a semiconductor light detection element having a semiconductor substrate including first and second principal surfaces opposed to each other;
a mounting substrate arranged as opposed to the semiconductor light detection element and having a third principal surface opposed to the second principal surface of the semiconductor substrate; and
a glass substrate arranged as opposed to the semiconductor light detection element and having a fourth principal surface opposed to the first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate,
wherein the semiconductor light detection element includes a plurality of avalanche photodiodes operating in Geiger mode and formed in the semiconductor substrate, quenching resistors connected in series to the respective avalanche photodiodes and arranged on the first principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of through-hole electrodes electrically connected to the quenching resistors and formed so as to penetrate the semiconductor substrate from the first principal surface side to the second principal surface side,
wherein the mounting substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes arranged corresponding to the respective through-hole electrodes on the third principal surface side, and a signal processing unit electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes, and configured to process output signals from the respective avalanche photodiodes,
wherein the through-hole electrodes and the first electrodes are electrically connected through bump electrodes, and
wherein a side surface of the semiconductor substrate and a side surface of the glass substrate are flush with each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light detection device according to claim 1,
wherein a principal surface of the glass substrate opposed to the fourth principal surface is flat.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light detection device according to claim 1,
wherein the through-hole electrodes are located in regions among the avalanche photodiodes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light detection device according to claim 1,
wherein the semiconductor light detection element further includes second electrodes electrically connected to the corresponding through-hole electrodes and arranged on the second principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and
wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are connected through the bump electrodes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The light detection device according to claim 4, wherein each of the avalanche photodiodes has:
the semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type;
a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on the first principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate;
a second semiconductor region of the second conductivity type formed in the first semiconductor region and having a higher impurity concentration than the first semiconductor region; and
a third electrode arranged on the first principal surface side of the semiconductor substrate and electrically connecting the second semiconductor region and the quenching resistor, and
wherein the second electrode is formed on a region corresponding to the second semiconductor region on the second principal surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light detection device according to claim 1,
wherein a plurality of said quenching resistors are electrically connected to the through-hole electrode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The light detection device according to claim 6,
wherein interconnection distances from the respective avalanche photodiodes through the corresponding quenching resistors to the through-hole electrode are equal.