ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT RECEIVING ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT RECEIVING ELEMENT
20190096928 ยท 2019-03-28
Inventors
Cpc classification
H01L31/1013
ELECTRICITY
H01L31/103
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01L31/101
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
Provided is an ultraviolet light receiving element capable of reducing visible light sensitivity. The ultraviolet light receiving element includes: a first photodiode sensitive to an ultraviolet light provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate; and a second photodiode insensitive to the ultraviolet light provided in a second region of the semiconductor substrate. A second well implantation layer in the second photodiode has a peak concentration position deeper than a peak concentration position of a well implantation layer in the first photodiode by a depth equal to a depth from a surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of a surface implantation layer in the second photodiode.
Claims
1. An ultraviolet light receiving element, comprising: a first photodiode sensitive to an ultraviolet light provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate, and including a first well implantation layer of a first conductivity type, a first embedded implantation layer of a second conductivity type, and a first surface implantation layer of the first conductivity type, the first embedded implantation layer being formed in the first well implantation layer, the first surface implantation layer being formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first embedded implantation layer; and a second photodiode insensitive to an ultraviolet light provided in a second region of the semiconductor substrate, and including a second well implantation layer of the first conductivity type, a second embedded implantation layer of the second conductivity type, and a second surface implantation layer of the first conductivity type, the second embedded implantation layer being formed in the second well implantation layer, the second surface implantation layer being formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the second embedded implantation layer, the second well implantation layer having a peak concentration position deeper than a peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer by a depth equal to a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the second surface implantation layer.
2. An ultraviolet light receiving element, comprising: a first photodiode sensitive to the ultraviolet light provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate, and including a first well implantation layer of a first conductivity type, a first embedded implantation layer of a second conductivity type, and a first surface implantation layer of the first conductivity type, the first embedded implantation layer being formed in the first well implantation layer, the first surface implantation layer being formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first embedded implantation layer; and a second photodiode insensitive to the ultraviolet light provided in a second region of the semiconductor substrate, and including a second well implantation layer of the first conductivity type, a second embedded implantation layer of the second conductivity type, and a second surface implantation layer of the first conductivity type, the second embedded implantation layer being formed in the second well implantation layer, the second surface implantation layer being formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the second embedded implantation layer, the second well implantation layer having a peak concentration position deeper than the peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer by a depth d.sub.p which is calculated by the following expression:
d.sub.pd.sub.s exp(x.sub.p) where d.sub.s is a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the second surface implantation layer, x.sub.p is a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer, is a light absorption coefficient in the semiconductor substrate, and x.sub.p is not regarded as zero.
3. A method of manufacturing an ultraviolet light receiving element, comprising: forming, in a first region of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first photodiode sensitive to the ultraviolet light including a first well implantation layer of a second conductivity type, a first embedded implantation layer of the first conductivity type, and a first surface implantation layer of the second conductivity type, the first embedded implantation layer being formed in the first well implantation layer, the first surface implantation layer being formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first embedded implantation layer; and forming, in a second region of the semiconductor substrate, a second photodiode insensitive to the ultraviolet light including a second well implantation layer of the second conductivity type, a second embedded implantation layer of the first conductivity type, and a second surface implantation layer of the second conductivity type, the second embedded implantation layer being formed in the second well implantation layer, the second surface implantation layer being formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the second embedded implantation layer, the second well implantation layer being formed so as to have a peak concentration position deeper than a peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer by a depth equal to a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the second surface implantation layer.
4. A method of manufacturing an ultraviolet light receiving element, comprising: forming, in a first region of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first photodiode sensitive to an ultraviolet light including a first well implantation layer of a second conductivity type, a first embedded implantation layer of the first conductivity type, and a first surface implantation layer of the second conductivity type, the first embedded implantation layer being formed in the first well implantation layer, the first surface implantation layer being formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first embedded implantation layer; and forming, in a second region of the semiconductor substrate, a second photodiode insensitive to the ultraviolet light including a second well implantation layer of the second conductivity type, a second embedded implantation layer of the first conductivity type, and a second surface implantation layer of the second conductivity type, the second embedded implantation layer being formed in the second well implantation layer, the second surface implantation layer being formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the second embedded implantation layer, the second well implantation layer being formed so as to have a peak concentration position deeper than the peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer by a depth d.sub.p which is calculated by the following expression:
d.sub.pd.sub.s exp(x .sub.p) where d.sub.s is a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the second surface implantation layer, x.sub.p is a depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a peak concentration position of the first well implantation layer, is a light absorption coefficient in the semiconductor substrate, and x.sub.p is not regarded as zero.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
[0024]
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] The invention will now be described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments.
First Embodiment
[0027]
[0028] The ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment includes a photodiode 12a which is provided in a region A of an N-type semiconductor substrate 11 and which is sensitive to an ultraviolet light, a photodiode 12b which is provided in a region B of the semiconductor substrate 11 and which is insensitive to the ultraviolet light, and a thermal oxide film 16 which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate 11.
[0029] The photodiode 12a includes a P-type (first conductivity-type) well implantation layer 13a, an N-type (second conductivity-type) embedded implantation layer 14a which is formed in the well implantation layer 13a, and a P-type surface implantation layer 15a which is formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 in the embedded implantation layer 14a. The surface implantation layer 15a has a peak concentration position at the topmost surface. A broken line 17a denotes a peak concentration position of the well implantation layer 13a.
[0030] The photodiode 12b includes a P-type well implantation layer 13b, an N-type embedded implantation layer 14b which is formed in the well implantation layer 13b, and a P-type surface implantation layer 15b which is formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 in the embedded implantation layer 14b. A dashed-dotted line 17b denotes a peak concentration position of the well implantation layer 13b, and a dashed-dotted line 18 denotes a peak concentration position of the surface implantation layer 15b.
[0031] In the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment, as illustrated in
[0032] A description is given below on a method of determining the peak concentration position 17b of the P-type well implantation layer 13b in the photodiode 12b in the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment.
[0033] The method of determining the peak concentration position 17b in the first embodiment has been obtained by taking notice that spectral characteristics in a photodiode vary depending on the position and depth-wise width of an area in which carriers generated by light absorption can be collected in the crystal of the semiconductor substrate, namely, an area sandwiched between the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b and the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b.
[0034] When a light having an intensity I.sub.o enters a surface of a light receiving element, an intensity I.sub.s of the light at a depth x in a semiconductor substrate that is a constituent of the light receiving element is expressed as the following Expression (1) with the use of an absorption coefficient which is determined by the type of the crystal used as the semiconductor and the wavelength of the light.
I.sub.SI.sub.o exp(x)(1)
[0035] The amount of light absorbed at the depth x in the crystal is obtained from the Expression (1), and a photocurrent I generated at that point is accordingly expressed as the following Expression (2) with the use of an elementary charge q, a wavelength , a light speed c, and the Planck's constant h.
[0036] If the sum of photocurrents generated between the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 and a certain depth x.sub.d can be taken out as an output current, the output current which is given as I.sub.ph can be expressed as the following Expression (3).
[0037] From the above Expressions (1) to (3), suppose that the depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a is given as x.sub.p, the depth from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b is given as d.sub.s, and the depth from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b is given as d.sub.p, then an output current I.sub.ph-HS of the photodiode 12a and an output current I.sub.ph-LS of the photodiode 12b with respect to a certain wavelength can be expressed as the following Expressions (4) and (5), respectively.
[0038] From the Expressions (4) and (5), an output current difference I.sub.ph-DIFF between the output currents of the photodiodes 12a and 12b can be expressed as the following Expression (6).
[0039] A condition under which the output current difference I.sub.ph-DIFF is zero at the wavelength is required in order to suppress light sensitivity in the visible light range. In other words, a value of d.sub.p that satisfies the following Expression (7) should be obtained.
exp(d.sub.p)=1+exp(x.sub.p)[exp(d.sub.s)1](7)
[0040] In reduction of sensitivity to the visible light included in sunlight, for example, consideration for the most intense light having the wavelength of longer than 500 nm is required. The absorption coefficient of the semiconductor with respect to a light longer in wavelength than the ultraviolet light is normally low. In other words, it is regarded that d.sub.p<<1 and d.sub.s<<1 hold in Expression (7). When k<<1 holds, exp(k) can be approximated as Expression (8).
exp(k)1k(8)
[0041] Expression (9) can accordingly be obtained from Expression (7) and Expression (8).
d.sub.pd.sub.s exp(x.sub.p)(9)
[0042] As described above, in reduction of sensitivity to the visible light included in sunlight, consideration for a light having the wavelength of longer than 500 nm is required. The absorption coefficient of, for example, a single-crystal silicon substrate used as the semiconductor substrate 11 is 1.11 E+06 [1/m] with respect to a light having a wavelength of 500 nm. A relation observed in this case between the depth x in the single-crystal silicon substrate and the intensity I.sub.s of the light is shown in
[0043] When single-crystal silicon is used, the light having a wavelength of 500 nm has an absorption coefficient of about 1/100 compared with the ultraviolet light having a shorter wavelength, and, as can be seen in
[0044] Accordingly, in
[0045] As described above, in the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment, the depth d.sub.s from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b and the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b are set equal to each other as illustrated in
[0046] A method of manufacturing the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment is described next.
[0047]
[0048] First, as illustrated in
[0049] Next, as illustrated in
[0050] In this step, the implantation energy and the implantation impurity dose are set so that the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b is equal to a predetermined value of the depth d.sub.s from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b (see
[0051] Next, as illustrated in
[0052] In this step, the implantation energy for forming the embedded implantation layer 14a and the implantation energy for forming the embedded implantation layer 14b are both set to, for example, 40 keV, and the implanted impurity dose is set to, for example, 1.0 E13 [ions/cm.sup.2], for each of the embedded implantation layers 14a and 14b.
[0053] The semiconductor substrate 11 is then annealed to electrically activate the implanted impurities. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is conducted here at 950 C. for 1 second in order to suppress the diffusion of the implanted impurities.
[0054] Next, as illustrated in
[0055] The ion implantation energy and the implanted impurity dose in this step are set to, for example, 1 keV and 1.5 E14 [ions/cm.sup.2], respectively, to form the surface implantation layer 15a, and to 10 keV and 9.0 E13 [ions/cm.sup.2], respectively, to form the surface implantation layer 15b.
[0056] The semiconductor substrate 11 is then subjected to RTA at a high temperature for a short time (e.g., at 1,000 C. for 1 second) to electrically activate the impurities in the surface implantation layer 15a and the surface implantation layer 15b.
[0057] The ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment which is illustrated in
[0058] The spectral sensitivity characteristics of the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 which is formed by the manufacturing method described above and the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the ultraviolet light receiving element in which the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b is set to zero, that is, in which the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a and the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b are set to the same depth are shown in
Second Embodiment
[0059]
[0060] A main difference between the ultraviolet light receiving element 200 according to the second embodiment and the ultraviolet light receiving element 100 according to the first embodiment is that the depth d.sub.s from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b and the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b differ from each other.
[0061] A description is given below on a method of determining the peak concentration position 17b in the P-type well implantation layer 13b of the photodiode 12b in the ultraviolet light receiving element 200 according to the second embodiment.
[0062] The method of determining the peak concentration position 17b in the second embodiment has also been obtained in the same manner as in the first embodiment by taking notice that spectral characteristics in a photodiode vary depending on the position and depth-wise width of an area in which carriers generated by light absorption can be collected in the crystal of the semiconductor substrate.
[0063] In order to consider a light having the wavelength of longer than 500 nm similar to the first embodiment,
[0064] As described above, the intensity of the light attenuates little in a shallow region of the single-crystal silicon substrate, and accordingly does not vary much depending on depth. In particular, the intensity I.sub.s of the light in a region in which the depth x is less than 100 nm changes only by 10% or so, and it can be regarded that the intensity I.sub.s of the light is substantially constant in the region.
[0065] When the depth x exceeds 100 nm, on the other hand, the light having a wavelength of 500 nm attenuates in intensity to 90% or less of the incident light. From then on, the intensity of the light attenuates more as the depth increases.
[0066] Accordingly, because in the region in
[0067] For that reason, the ultraviolet light receiving element 200 according to the second embodiment is formed with the use of d.sub.p that can be obtained from the above Expression (9). In this manner, the photodiode 12a and the photodiode 12b can be given equal sensitivity in the visible light range. In other words, the difference in output current between the photodiode 12a and the photodiode 12b can be reduced in the visible light range.
[0068] In the second embodiment, the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b is determined in a manner described below, for example.
[0069] To give a specific example, suppose that the depth d.sub.s from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 18 of the surface implantation layer 15b is 50 nm, the depth X.sub.p from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 11 to the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a is 400 nm, and that a single-crystal silicon substrate having the absorption coefficient of 1.11 E+06 [1/m] with respect to a light having a wavelength of 500 nm is used as the semiconductor substrate 11, the depth d.sub.p is then calculated as 78 nm by the above Expression (9). In this case, the ultraviolet light receiving element 200 reduced in spectral sensitivity in the visible light range can accordingly be obtained by setting the depth d.sub.p equal to 78 nm from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b.
[0070] A method of manufacturing the ultraviolet light receiving element 200 according to the second embodiment is described next.
[0071]
[0072] First, as illustrated in
[0073] Next, as illustrated in
[0074] The implantation energy and the implanted impurity dose in this step are set so that the depth d.sub.p from the peak concentration position 17a of the well implantation layer 13a to the peak concentration position 17b of the well implantation layer 13b is a depth calculated by the above Expression (9), in this example, 78 nm. In this example, the implantation energy for forming the well implantation layer 13a is set to 110 keV, the implantation energy for forming the well implantation layer 13b is set to 120 keV, and the implanted impurity dose is set to 5.0 E12 [ions/cm.sup.2] for each of the well implantation layers 13a and 13b.
[0075] Next, as illustrated in
[0076] In this example, the implantation energy for forming the embedded implantation layer 14a is set to 36 keV, the implantation energy for forming the embedded implantation layer 14b is set to 120 keV, and the implanted impurity dose is set to 9.0 E12 [ions/cm.sup.2] for each of the embedded implantation layers 14a and 14b.
[0077] The semiconductor substrate 11 is then annealed to electrically activate the implanted impurities. RTA is conducted here at 950 C. for 5 seconds in order to suppress the diffusion of the implanted impurities.
[0078] Next, as illustrated in
[0079] The ion implantation energy and the implanted impurity dose in this example are set to 8 keV and 5.0 E13 [ions/cm.sup.2], respectively, to form the surface implantation layer 15a, and to 35 keV and 4.5 E13 [ions/cm.sup.2], respectively, to form the surface implantation layer 15b.
[0080] The semiconductor substrate 11 is then subjected to RTA at a high temperature for a short time (e.g., at 1,000 C. for 1 second) to electrically activate the impurities in the surface implantation layer 15a and the surface implantation layer 15b.
[0081] The ultraviolet light receiving element 200 according to the second embodiment which is illustrated in
[0082]
[0083] It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be modified and changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
[0084] For instance, a shallow region near a surface of the surface implantation layer 15b of the photodiode 12b which is insensitive to the ultraviolet light in the embodiments described above may be provided with a surface implantation layer having a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of the surface implantation layer 15b to effectively nullify a current generated by the ultraviolet light, as described in Y. R. Sipauba Carvalho da Silva, et al., An Ultraviolet Radiation Sensor Using Differential Spectral Response of Silicon Photodiodes, 2015 IEEE SENSORS, pp. 1-4.
[0085] While an example in which a single crystal silicon substrate is used as a semiconductor substrate has been described in the embodiments described above, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other semiconductor substrates such as a GaAs substrate can also be used, for example.
[0086] While the first conductivity type is the P type and the second conductivity type is the N type in the embodiments described above, the conductivity types may be switched so that the first conductivity type is the N type and the second conductivity type is the P type.