An image sensor may include a plurality of pixels that each contain a photodiode. The pixels may include deep photodiodes for near infrared applications. The photodiodes may be formed by growing doped epitaxial silicon in trenches formed in a substrate. The doped epitaxial silicon may be doped with phosphorus or arsenic. The pixel may include additional n-wells formed by implanting ions in the substrate. Isolation regions formed by implanting boron ions may isolate the n-wells and doped epitaxial silicon. The doped epitaxial silicon may be formed at temperatures between 500 C. and 550 C. After forming the doped epitaxial silicon, laser annealing may be used to activate the ions. Chemical mechanical planarization may also be performed to ensure that the doped epitaxial silicon has a flat and planar surface for subsequent processing.

A 2-D sensor array includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Each pixel includes a coupling region and a junction region, and a slab waveguide structure disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending from the coupling region to the region. The slab waveguide includes a confinement layer disposed between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The first cladding and the second cladding each have a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the confinement layer. Each pixel also includes a coupling structure disposed in the coupling region and within the slab waveguide. The coupling structure includes two materials having different indices of refraction arranged as a grating defined by a grating period. The junction region comprises a p-n junction in communication with electrical contacts for biasing and collection of carriers resulting from absorption of incident radiation.

To provide an imaging device equipped with a photodiode, which is capable of enhancing both of a capacity and sensitivity. In an area of a P-type well in which a photodiode is formed, a P-type impurity region is formed from the surface of the P-type well to a predetermined depth. Further, an N-type impurity region is formed to extend to a deeper position. N-type impurity regions and P-type impurity regions respectively extending in a gate width direction from a lower part of the N-type impurity region to a deeper position so as to contact the N-type impurity region are alternately arranged in a plural form along a gate length direction in a form to contact each other.

To provide a solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light which can measure the amount of irradiation with ultraviolet light harmful to the human body using a simplified structure and properly and accurately, which can be readily integrated with a sensor of a peripheral circuit, which is small, light-weight, and low-cost, and which is suitable for mobile or wearable purposes. One solution is a solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light which is provided with a first photodiode (1), a second photodiode (2), and a differential circuit which receives respective signals based on outputs from these photodiodes, wherein a position of the maximum concentration of a semiconductor impurity is provided in each of the photodiodes (1,2) and in a semiconductor layer region formed on each photodiode, and an optically transparent layer having a different wavelength selectivity is provided on a light-receiving surface of each photodiode.

An electronic component includes a base, a laminate of a plurality of conductive metal material layers, and a solder layer made of AuSn alloy solder. The laminate is disposed on the base. The solder layer is disposed on the laminate. The laminate includes a surface layer made of Au as the conductive metal material layer constituting an outermost layer. The surface layer includes a solder layer-disposing region in which the solder layer is disposed and a solder layer-empty region in which the solder layer is not disposed. The solder layer-disposing region and the solder layer-empty region are spatially separated from each other.

Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as holes, effectively increase the absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more. Their thickness dimensions allow them to be conveniently integrated on the same Si chip with CMOS, BiCMOS, and other electronics, with resulting packaging benefits and reduced capacitance and thus higher speeds.

An improvement is achieved in the performance of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device includes an n.sup.-type semiconductor region formed in a p-type well, an n-type semiconductor region formed closer to a main surface of a semiconductor substrate than the n.sup.-type semiconductor region, and a p.sup.-type semiconductor region formed between the n.sup.-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region. A net impurity concentration in the n.sup.-type semiconductor region is lower than a net impurity concentration in the n-type semiconductor region. A net impurity concentration in the p.sup.-type semiconductor region is lower than a net impurity concentration in the p-type well.

The present invention is a photodiode or photodiode array having improved ruggedness for a shallow junction photodiode which is typically used in the detection of short wavelengths of light. In one embodiment, the photodiode has a relatively deep, lightly-doped P zone underneath a P+ layer. By moving the shallow junction to a deeper junction in a range of 2-5 m below the photodiode surface, the improved device has improved ruggedness, is less prone to degradation, and has an improved linear current.

According to a photodetector includes a first light detection layer and a reflective layer. The first light detection layer has a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface. The first light detection layer includes a first light detection area including a p-n junction of a p-type semiconductor layer containing Si and an n-type semiconductor layer containing Si. The reflective layer arranged on a second surface side of the first light detection layer so as to be opposed to the first light detection area. The reflective layer reflects at least part of light in a near-infrared range.

An impurity-diffusing composition including (A) a polysiloxane represented by Formula (1) and (B) an impurity diffusion component. ##STR00001## In the formula, R.sup.1 represents an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R.sup.1 may be the same or different. R.sup.2 represents any of a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an acyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R.sup.2 may be the same or different. R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each represent any of a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and an acyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R.sup.3 and a plurality of R.sup.4 each may be the same or different. The ratio of n:m is 95:5 to 25:75.