Solid-state imaging device, process of making solid state imaging device, digital still camera, digital video camera, mobile phone, and endoscope

摘要

A solid-state imaging device includes an array of pixels, each pixel includes: a pixel electrode; an organic layer; a counter electrode; a sealing layer; a color filter; a readout circuit; and a light-collecting unit as defined herein, the photoelectric layer contains an organic p type semiconductor and an organic n type semiconductor, the organic layer further includes a charge blocking layer as defined herein, an ionization potential of the charge blocking layer and an electron affinity of the organic n type semiconductor in the photoelectric layer has a difference of at least 1 eV, and the sealing layer includes a first sealing sublayer formed by atomic layer deposition and a second sealing sublayer formed by physical vapor deposition and containing one of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, and a metal oxynitride.

主权项

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:
an array of pixels, each of said pixels comprising:
a pixel electrode;an organic layer provided above the pixel electrode, the organic layer including a photoelectric layer that generates charges in response to light received;a counter electrode provided above the organic layer and common to the pixels;a sealing layer covering the counter electrode;a color filter provided above the sealing layer; anda readout circuit to read a signal corresponding to charges collected by the pixel electrode, wherein the photoelectric layer contains an organic p type semiconductor and an organic n type semiconductor,
the organic layer further includes a charge blocking layer between the photoelectric layer and at least one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, said charge blocking layer configured to block charge injection from the at least one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode to the photoelectric layer,an ionization potential of the charge blocking layer and an electron affinity of the organic n type semiconductor in the photoelectric layer have a difference of at least 1 eV,wherein the readout circuit includes:a floating diffusion node electrically connected to the pixel electrode and configured to change its potential in response to a potential of the pixel electrode, andan MOS transistor circuit adapted to read out a signal in response to the potential of the floating diffusion node; andwherein the MOS transistor circuit includes a reset transistor, a voltage supplied to a source terminal of the reset transistor that is lower than a voltage supplied to the counter electrode so that an electric current flows from the counter electrode to the pixel electrode to collect holes in the pixel electrode, and each transistor of the MOS transistor circuit is of an n-channel MOS type.