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EP0023079A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of producing a solid state photoelectric device

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
•
Filing: 1980-06-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2000-06-06
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Abstract

Abstract A photoelectric device having at least a predetermined impurity region (26) which is disposed in a semiconductor substrate (20), and a photoelectric conversion portion which is constructed by stacking an electrode layer (31) lying in contact with at least a part of the impurity region, a photoconductive material layer (39) overlying the electrode layer, and a transparent electrode (37) overlying the photoconductive material layer, characterised in that the photoconductive material layer is made of an amorphous chalcogenide material which principally contains Se. It is very favourable that the photoelectric conversion material (39) contains a layer (34) principally containing Se which is partially doped with Te so as to enhance its sensitivity. In the course of forming or after having formed, at least one photoconductive layer (32) on a semiconductor body whose surface is uneven, a heat treatment is performed at a temperature of at least the softening point of the photoconductor so as to flatten the layer, whereby discontinuous parts of the photoconductor ascribable to the uneven surface of the semiconductor body can be avoided. This reduces the incidence of white flaws in the resulting picture.

Inventors

  • 👤 Toshihisa Tsukada
  • 👤 Yukio Takasaki
  • 👤 Tadaaki Hirai
  • 👤 Toru Baji
  • 👤 Hideaki Yamamoto
  • 👤 Yasuo Tanaka
  • 👤 Eiichi Maruyama
  • 👤 Sachio Ishioka

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 14:38
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/10; H10F39/12; H10F39/191

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 75 words
A photoelectric device having at least a first electrode (7,31,43) which lies in contact with at least a part of an impurity layer (2,26,41) formed in a semiconductor body (1,20), a photoconductive layer (8,39,45) which is formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode (9,37,48) which transmits light and which is formed on the photoconductive layer; characterisd in that said photoconductive layer is made of an amorphous chalcogenide material whose principal constituent is Se.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 75 words
A photoelectric device having at least a first electrode (7,31,43) which lies in contact with at least a part of an impurity layer (2,26,41) formed in a semiconductor body (1,20), a photoconductive layer (8,39,45) which is formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode (9,37,48) which transmits light and which is formed on the photoconductive layer; characterisd in that said photoconductive layer is made of an amorphous chalcogenide material whose principal constituent is Se.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 42 words
A photoelectric device according to claim 1, characterised in that said photoconductive layer made of said amorphous chalcogenide material whose principal constituent is Se has a region (c,34,46) doped with Te, in at least a part thereof in a thickness direction thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 215 words
A photoelectric device according to claim 2, characterised in that said photoconductive layer is formed of at least (a) a first part (a,32) which contains Se, which is doped with at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te and elements which form deep levels in Se, and in which the quantity of Te and/or the quantity of the element to form the deep level in Se are respectively at most 10 atomic-% on the average, (b) a second part (b,33) which contains Se and an element which forms a deep level in Se, and in which a peak concentration of a continuous distribution of the element to form the deep level is at least 15 atomic-%, (c) a third part (c,34) which contains Se doped with Te, and in which the peak concentration of a continuous distribution of the Te is at least 15 atomic-%, and (d) a fourth part (d,35) which contains Se, which is doped with at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te and elements which form deep levels in Se, and in which the quantity of Te and/or that of the element to form the deep level in Se are respectively at most 15 atomic-% on the average, the respective parts being adjacent in succession.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 63 words
A photoelectric device according to claim 3, characterised in that said element to form the deep level in Se has a concentration gradient within said second part (b,33), the concentration being the highest in the vicinity of an interface of said second part with said third part (c,34) and decreasing smoothly towards the vicinity of an interface thereof with said first part (a,32).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
A photoelectric device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a blocking layer (36) is provided between the transparent second electrode (37) and the photoconductive layer (39).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 84 words
A photoelectric device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said semiconductor body is provided with switching means which are arrayed in the shape of a matrix on a desired semiconductor substrate, and that it includes at least a horizontal scanning circuit and a vertical scanning circuit which serve to drive said switching means to take out signals, and a plurality of electrodes which are independent of one another and which are selected by the horizontal and vertical scanning circuits.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 92 words
A method of producing a photoelectric device having the step of forming at least one photoconductive layer (32,45) on a semiconductor body (20), and the step of forming a light transmissive electrode (37,48) on a photoconductive film (39;45,46,47) including the photoconductive layer; characterised by the step of flattening said photoconductive film by performing a heat treatment at a temperature of at least the softening point of the photoconductor of said photoconductive layer in the course of or after the formation of said at least one photoconductive layer to overlie said semiconductor body.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 92 words
A method of producing a photoelectric device having the step of forming at least one photoconductive layer (32,45) on a semiconductor body (20), and the step of forming a light transmissive electrode (37,48) on a photoconductive film (39;45,46,47) including the photoconductive layer; characterised by the step of flattening said photoconductive film by performing a heat treatment at a temperature of at least the softening point of the photoconductor of said photoconductive layer in the course of or after the formation of said at least one photoconductive layer to overlie said semiconductor body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 45 words
A method of producing a photoelectric device according to claim 7, characterised by the step of further forming a photoconductive film of at least one layer (33,46) on the first-mentioned photoconductive film (32,45) after said first-mentioned photoconductive film has been flattened by the heat treatment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 54 words
A method of producing a photoelectric device according to claim 7, characterised by the step of forming the first photoconductive layer (45) on said semiconductor body (20) and subsequently forming another photoconductive layer (45) while heating the resultant semiconductor body, and the step of further laying thereon a further photoconductive layer or layers (46,47).
Claim 12
Independent Claim 32 words
A method of producing a photoelectric device according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that said photoconductive layer (32,45) is made of amorphous chalcogenide whose principal constituent is Se.

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