Photodiode structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a waveguide structure in a dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a Ge material in proximity to the waveguide structure in a back end of the line (BEOL) metal layer. The method further includes crystallizing the Ge material into a crystalline Ge structure by a low temperature annealing process with a metal layer in contact with the Ge material.

A semiconductor device that includes: a pair of photoelectric transducers that output photocurrent that accords with an intensity of received light; and a first filter film that is provided to a light incidence side of one out of the pair of photoelectric transducers, that is configured by alternatingly stacking high refractive index layers and low refractive index layers having mutually different refractive indexes, and that transmits one out of either UV-A waves or UV-B waves included in ultraviolet rays with a higher transmittance than the other out of the UV-A waves and the UV-B waves.

There is described a photodetector comprising a semiconductor material having at least a region substantially depleted of free moving carriers, the photodetector comprising: a substrate of one of n-type and p-type; at least one charge collector along a surface of the substrate and having a doping-type opposite from the substrate; a substrate contact along the surface of the substrate spaced apart from the at least one charge collector to allow current to flow between the at least one charge collector and the substrate contact; and at least one non-conductive electrode positioned along the surface of the substrate in an alternating sequence with the at least one charge collector, and separated from the substrate by an insulator, and adapted to apply an electric potential to the substrate and cause charge carriers generated therein by application of a light source to advance towards the at least one charge collector due to the effects of an electric field, such that the at least one charge collector can measure carrier concentration within the substrate.

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.

Photodiode structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a waveguide structure in a dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a Ge material in proximity to the waveguide structure in a back end of the line (BEOL) metal layer. The method further includes crystallizing the Ge material into a crystalline Ge structure by a low temperature annealing process with a metal layer in contact with the Ge material.

A system for inspecting a sample including a detector, either a photomultiplier tube or an electron-bombarded image sensor, that is positioned to receive light from the sample. The detector includes a semiconductor photocathode and a photodiode. Notably, the photodiode includes a p-doped semiconductor layer, an n-doped semiconductor layer formed on a first surface of the p-doped semiconductor layer to form a diode, and a pure boron layer formed on a second surface of the p-doped semiconductor layer. The semiconductor photocathode includes silicon, and further includes a pure boron coating on at least one surface.

This disclosure is directed to devices, integrated circuits, and methods for sensing radiation. In one example, a device includes an oscillator, configured to deliver a signal via an output at intervals defined by an oscillation frequency, and a counter, connected to the output of the oscillator and configured to count a number of times the comparator delivers the output signal. The oscillator includes a radiation-sensitive cell that applies a resistance. The resistance of the radiation-sensitive cell is configured to vary in response to incident radiation, wherein the oscillation frequency varies based at least in part on the resistance of the radiation-sensitive cell.

Provided is an image sensor having improved characteristics. An image sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include first and second photoelectric conversion elements formed in a substrate, wherein the first photoelectric conversion element has a first impurity region; a device isolation trench formed in the substrate and between the first and the second photoelectric conversion elements, wherein a sidewall of the device isolation trench is in contact with the first impurity region; and an epitaxial layer filling the device isolation trench, and having different conductivity from the first impurity region.

A photoelectric converting apparatus has first and third semiconductor layers of a first conductivity type which respectively output signals obtained by photoelectric conversion, and second and fourth semiconductor layers of a second conductivity type supplied with potentials from a potential supplying unit. In the photoelectric converting apparatus, the first, second, third and fourth semiconductor layers are arranged in sequence, the second and fourth semiconductor layers are electrically separated from each other, and the potential to be supplied to the second semiconductor layer and the potential to be supplied to the fourth semiconductor layer are controlled independently from each other.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor photosensitive unit and a semiconductor photosensitive unit array thereof, including a floating gate transistor, a gating MOS transistor and a photodiode that are disposed on a semiconductor substrate. An anode or a cathode of the photodiode is connected to a floating gate of the floating gate transistor through the gating MOS transistor, and the corresponding cathode or anode of the photodiode is connected to a drain of the floating gate transistor or connected to an external electrode. After the gating MOS transistor is switched on, the floating gate is charged or discharged through the photodiode; and after the gating MOS transistor is switched off, charges are stored in the floating gate of the floating gate transistor. Advantages like a small unit area, low surface noise, long charge storage time of the floating gate, and large dynamic range of an operating voltage are achieved.