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Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photodiode Technology for Advanced CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Imagers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Jeremy A. Theil,
Min Cao,
Gerrit Kooi,
Gary W. Ray,
Wayne Greene,
Jane Lin,
AJ Budrys and
Uija Yoon
Jeremy A. Theil*
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Min Cao
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Gerrit Kooi
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Gary W. Ray
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Wayne Greene
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Jane Lin
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
AJ Budrys
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
Uija Yoon
Affiliation:
Shawming Ma, and Hans Stork Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo-Alto, CA 94304
*
Corresponding Author e-mail: jeremy_theil@agilent.com
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Abstract

Amorphous silicon photodiode technology is a very attractive option for image array integrated circuits because it enables large die-size reduction and higher light collection efficiency than c-Si arrays. We have developed a photodiode array technology that is fully compatible with a 0.35νm CMOS process to produce image sensors arrays with 10-bit dynamic range that are 30% smaller than comparable c-Si photodiode arrays. The VGA (640x480), array demonstrated here uses common intrinsic and p-type contact layers, and makes reliable contact to those layers by use of a monolithic transparent conductor strap tied to vias in the interconnect. The work presented here will discuss performance issues and solutions that lend themselves to cost-effective high-volume manufacturing. The various methods of interconnection of the diode to the array and their advantages will be presented. The photodiode dark leakage current density is about 80 pA/cm2, and its absolute quantum efficiency peaks about 85% at 550 nm. The effect of doped layer thickness and concentration on quantum efficiency, and the effect of a-Si:H defect concentration on diode performance will be discussed.

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References

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