SEMICONDUCTOR IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE

摘要

PURPOSE:To improve the sensitivity and the resolution of a semiconductor image pickup device as compared with both CCD and MOS image sensors by providing a plurality of cells of hook structure in which a high resistance region for substantially detecting a light and a high impurity density region having different conductivity type from the high resistance region are connected in a semiconductor substrate. CONSTITUTION:A light input introduced through a transparent electrode 4 to which a predetermined bias voltage Vs(+) is applied generates electron and hole pairs in a high resistance layer 6 specially in the vicinity of an n<+> type layer 5 of a hook structure. The layer 6 is completely depleted in the entire region by the applied voltage Vs, and an electric field to run the carrier at a saturated speed is applied to almost all the region. The generated electrons are attracted by the Vs(+) bias and absorbed by the layer 5, and the holes generated in pairs are stored in a p<+> type region 7. This is because an i type region 6 is depleted by the bias voltage Vs(+) and a strong electric field is applied to the entire thickness l of the i type layer. When the holes are stored in an p<+> type layer 7, the layer 7 is charged positively. Accordingly, electrons in an n<+> type region 8 override the thin layer 7 and flow to the side of the substrate.