Embodiments described herein relate to a dual-band photodetector. The dual-band photodetector includes a barrier layer (10) disposed between two infrared absorption layers (8, 12) wherein the barrier layer (10) is lattice matched to at least one of the infrared absorption layers (8, 12). Furthermore, one infrared absorption layer includes dilute nitride to adjust the band gap to a desired cut-off wavelength while maintaining valence-band alignment with the barrier layer. Embodiments also relate to a system and processes for producing the photodetector fabricated from semiconductor materials.

A system and method for a multi-sensor pixel architecture for use in a digital imaging system is described. The system includes at least one semiconducting layer for absorbing radiation incident on opposites of the at least one semiconducting layer along with a set of electrodes on one side of the semiconducting layer for transmitting a signal associated with the radiation absorbed by the semiconducting layer.

Various embodiments are directed to an image sensor that includes a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion coupled to the first sensor portion. The second sensor portion may be positioned relative to the first sensor portion so that the second sensor portion may initially detect light entering the image sensor, and some of that light passes through the second sensor portion and is be detected by the first sensor portion. In some embodiments, the second sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing visible light. The first sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing IR or NIR light. As a result of the arrangement and structure of the second sensor portion and the first sensor portion, the image sensor captures substantially more light from the light source.

A structure includes a silicon substrate; silicon readout circuitry disposed on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and a radiation detecting pixel disposed on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate. The pixel has a plurality of radiation detectors connected with the readout circuitry. The plurality of radiation detectors are composed of at least one visible wavelength radiation detector containing germanium and at least one infrared wavelength radiation detector containing a Group III-V semiconductor material. A method includes providing a silicon substrate; forming silicon readout circuitry on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and forming a radiation detecting pixel, on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate, that has a plurality of radiation detectors formed to contain a visible wavelength detector composed of germanium and an infrared wavelength detector composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material.

A semiconductor device and the like having high quantum efficiency or high sensitivity in a near-infrared to infrared region is provided. The semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a multiple quantum well structure disposed on the substrate, and including a plurality of pairs of a layer a and a layer b; and a crystal-adjusting layer disposed between the substrate and the multiple quantum well structure. The crystal-adjusting layer includes a first adjusting layer which is made of the same material as the substrate and is in contact with the substrate, and a second adjusting layer which is made of the same material as the layer a or the layer b of the multiple quantum well structure and is in contact with the multiple quantum well structure.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a red (R) pixel, a green (G) pixel, a blue (B) pixel and an infrared (IR) pixel, and R, G and B filters respectively disposed at the R, G and B pixels. The image sensor also includes an IR pass filter disposed at the IR pixel and an IR filter stacked with the R, G and B filters, wherein the IR filter cuts off at least IR light with a specific wavelength. Furthermore, a method of forming an image sensor is also provided.

An optical sensor in which photo currents generated by light in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges are to be tapped separately at pn junctions of active regions. The active regions include n- or p-doping and are formed in a p-substrate 52. The optical sensor comprises a surface-near first active region 12, and a second active region 14 subjacent to the first active region 12 and forming together with the first active region 12 a pn junction 22 that is short-circuited. A third active region 20 is subjacent to the second active region 14 and forming together with the second active region a further pn junction 23. Together with a fourth active region 24 subjacent to the second active region 20, a further pn junction 25, 29 is formed together with the third active region 20 and the substrate 52.

Provided are a solid-state imaging device, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device that enable improvement of the sensitivity in a near infrared region by a simpler process. A solid-state imaging device includes a first semiconductor layer in which a first photoelectric conversion unit and a first floating diffusion are formed, a second semiconductor layer in which a second photoelectric conversion unit and a second floating diffusion are formed, and a wiring layer including a wiring electrically connected to the first and second floating diffusions. The first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer are laminated, and the wiring layer is formed on a side of the first or second semiconductor layer, the side being opposite to a side on which the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer face each other.

A stacked filter for an image sensor including an infrared (IR) pixel is provided. The stacked filter includes a first filter layer disposed at the IR pixel. The first filter layer allows light with wavelengths of a first band to be transmitted through. The stacked filter further includes a second filter layer stacked with the first filter layer. The second filter layer allows light with wavelengths of a second band to be transmitted through. The first band partially overlaps the second band at wavelengths of a third band. The third band is narrower than the first band and the second band. The stacked filter allows light with the wavelengths of the third band to be transmitted through. Furthermore, an image sensor containing a stacked filter is also provided.

An imaging sensor includes a color filter, and DBPF that has a transmission characteristic in a visible-light band, a blocking characteristic in a first wavelength band adjacent to a long-wavelength side of the visible-light band, and a transmission characteristic in a second wavelength band that is a part of the first wavelength band. A transmission characteristic of DBPF and a transmission characteristic of each filter part of the color filter are set in such a manner that the second wavelength band of DBPF is included in a third wavelength band that is a wavelength band in which transmittance of the filter parts in colors is approximate to each other on a long-wavelength side of the visible-light band and a fourth wavelength band that is a wavelength band in which a filter part for infrared light has a transmission characteristic.