Tohoku University

Foundation for Advancement of International Science

Shimadzu Corporation

Oht Inc.

Shin-etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.

Fujikin Inc.

Ablic Inc.

Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd.

Rihito Kuroda

Shigetoshi Sugawa

Akinobu Teramoto

Tadahiro Ohmi

Shunichi Wakashima

Tetsuya Goto

Toshiro Yasuda

Nobukazu Ikeda

Kouji Nishino

Michio Yamaji

Masaaki Nagase

Hideo Kudo

Kenji Takubo

Koji Tsukagoshi

Hideki Tominaga

Yoshinori Hayamizu

Tomoyuki Suwa

Hiroshi Hamori

Ryuta Hirose

Shinichi Murakami

Kazutoshi Kamibayashi

[Problem] To provide an optical sensor which can read out faster and requires lower power consumption than conventional optical sensors while maintaining advantages and superiorities of conventional optical sensors in which a transfer switch is provided between a light receiving element (PD) and a floating diffusion (CFD). [Solution] A semiconductor junction of a light-receiving element is fully depleted and a potential curve of electrons has a negative slope toward the floating diffusion and connected to an uppermost position of an electronic potential well of the floating g diffusion keeping its negative slope state.

Optical sensor and signal readout method thereof, optical area sensor and signal readout method thereof

A capacitive sensor includes a sensing electrode, a first electrode pad, a substrate, and a second electrode pad. The sensing electrode outputs a signal corresponding to a capacitance between the sensing electrode and a detection target. The first electrode pad is coupled to the sensing electrode. The substrate includes a substrate surface portion and a step portion. On the substrate surface portion are the sensing electrode and the first electrode pad mounted. The step portion is provided at a position in the substrate lower than the substrate surface portion. The second electrode pad is mounted on the step portion and coupled to an external line.

Capacitive sensor and manufacturing method of capacitive sensor

A capacitance detection area sensor includes capacitance sensor elements arranged in a two-dimensional array, is shaped into an appropriate shape, and capacitively coupled to an external electrode. To the external electrode, a sensing signal having a potential difference is supplied. The first and second sensor output signals are acquired from a capacitance sensor element capacitively coupled to the external electrode, at the timing of the sensing signal being a first signal and being a second signal, respectively. A differential signal is generated from a difference between the acquired first and second sensor output signals, and an image indicating the shape of the external electrode is generated based on the level of the differential signal, in different colors or different tones.

Capacitance detection area sensor and conductive pattern sensing apparatus having capacitance detection area sensor

A light-receiving device that achieves both high saturation performance and high sensitivity performance includes a light-receiving pixel including a light-receiving element, a first capacitive element that accumulates a photoelectric charge produced by light received by the light-receiving element, a second capacitive element that accumulates a transferred portion of an amount of the photoelectric charge accumulated in the capacitive element, a switch means for turning on and off a photoelectric charge transfer operation from the capacitive element to the capacitive element, a resetting switch means for resetting the capacitive element and the capacitive element, a pixel selecting switch means, and a source follower switch means. An effective saturation capacity of the capacitive element is 10 to 5,000 times an effective saturation capacity of the capacitive element.

Light-receiving device and method for reading out signal of light-receiving device

This optical sensor device includes a first light receiving portion having sensitivity to ultraviolet light, a first sealing portion covering the first light receiving portion, a second light receiving portion having sensitivity to ultraviolet light, and a second sealing portion which covers the second light receiving portion. At least one of the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion is configured to transmit at least part of a ultraviolet light wavelength band, the first sealing portion is formed from one or more resin layers and has transmission spectral characteristics that a first wavelength is set as a lower limit value of a transmission wavelength band, and the second sealing portion is formed from one or more resin layers and has transmission spectral characteristics that a second wavelength different from the first wavelength is set as a lower limit value of the transmission wavelength band.

Optical sensor device

One of the problems addressed by the present invention is to provide an optical sensor, a solid-state imaging device, and a signal readout method therefor that greatly contribute to a further development of industry and to the realization of a more secure and safe society. One of the solutions provided by the present invention is an optical sensor comprising a light reception element, a storage capacitor for storing charges, and a transfer switch for transferring, to the storage capacitor, a charge generated by light input into the light reception element. The storage capacitor includes a floating diffusion capacitor and a lateral overflow integration capacitor. The transfer switch is an LDD-MOS transistor of which a drain area has a specific impurity concentration.

Optical sensor and signal readout method therefor, and solid-state image pickup device and signal readout method therefor

To provide a solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light which can measure the amount of irradiation with ultraviolet light harmful to the human body using a simplified structure and properly and accurately, which can be readily integrated with a sensor of a peripheral circuit, which is small, light-weight, and low-cost, and which is suitable for mobile or wearable purposes. One solution is a solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light which is provided with a first photodiode (), a second photodiode (), and a differential circuit which receives respective signals based on outputs from these photodiodes, wherein a position of the maximum concentration of a semiconductor impurity is provided in each of the photodiodes () and in a semiconductor layer region formed on each photodiode, and an optically transparent layer having a different wavelength selectivity is provided on a light-receiving surface of each photodiode.

Solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light

To provide a concentration measurement method with which the concentrations of predetermined chemical components can be measured non-destructively, accurately, and rapidly by a simple means, up to the concentrations in trace amount ranges, as well as a concentration measurement method with which the concentrations of chemical components in a measurement target can be accurately and rapidly measured in real time up to the concentrations in nano-order trace amount ranges, and which is endowed with a versatility that can be realized in a variety of embodiments and modes. In the present invention, a measurement target is irradiated, in a time sharing manner, with light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength that have different optical absorption rates with respect to the measurement target. The light of each wavelength, arriving optically via the measurement target as a result of irradiation with the light of each wavelength, is received at a shared light-receiving sensor. A differential signal is formed, the differential signal being of a signal pertaining to the light of the first wavelength and a signal pertaining to the light of the second wavelength, the signals outputted from the light-receiving sensor upon receipt of the light. The concentration of a chemical component in the measurement target is derived on the basis of the differential signal.

Optical gas concentration measuring method by forming a differential signal using lights with different absorbabilities to a raw material in a gas flow path using a time-sharing method

To provide a concentration measuring method with which the concentration of a predetermined chemical component can be accurately, quickly, and nondestructively measured down to a concentration range of an extremely small amount with a simple means, and to provide a concentration measuring method with which the concentration of a chemical component in an object to be measured can be accurately and quickly measured down to a concentration range of a nano-order extremely small amount in real time, the method having universality, i.e., the ability to be embodied in various forms and modes. Light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength, which have different light absorptances with respect to an object to be measured, are each radiated onto the object to be measured using a time-sharing method; the light having the first wavelength and the light having the second wavelength, optically passing through the object to be measured as a result of the irradiation with the light having the first and second wavelengths, are received with a common light receiving sensor; a differential signal between a signal related to the light having the first wavelength and a signal related to the light having the second wavelength to be output from the light receiving sensor according to the received light is formed; and the concentration of a chemical component in the object to be measured is derived on the basis of the differential signal.

Optical concentration measuring method

A concentration measurement method accurately, quickly, and non-destructively measures the concentration of a predetermined chemical component within an object to a nano-order trace concentration level in real time. A time sharing method irradiates the object light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength having different light absorption rates with respect to the object to be measured. Light of both wavelengths that arrives optically through the object is received by a shared light reception sensor, and signals respectively relating to light of the first and second wavelengths are output from the light reception sensor in accordance with the received light. A differential signal of these signals is formed, and the concentration of a chemical component in the object to be measured is derived on the basis of the differential signal.

Concentration measuring method

One problem addressed by the present invention is to provide an optical sensor, a solid-state imaging device, and methods for reading the signals therefrom, which contribute greatly to the development of industry and the realization of a safer and more secure society. One solution according to the present invention is an optical sensor having a light-receiving element, storage capacitors that store a charge, and a transfer switch for transferring to the storage capacitors a charge generated by light input to the light-receiving element, wherein the storage capacitors are a floating diffusion capacitor and a lateral overflow integration capacitor, and the transfer switch is a non-LDD/MOS transistor, that is, a non-LDD/MOS transistor for which the impurity concentration of the drain region is reduced by 50%.

Optical sensor and solid-state imaging device, and signal reading methods therefor

Optical sensor, signal reading method therefor, solid-state imaging device, and signal reading method therefor

Provided is a solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light, which is capable of measuring an irradiation amount of UV-rays, which are harmful to a human body, accurately and appropriately with a simple structure, and of being formed easily and integrally with sensors of peripheral circuits, and which is small, lightweight, low cost, and suitable for mobile or wearable applications. The solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode, and a differential circuit to which signals based on outputs of those photodiodes are input. The solid-state light-receiving device for ultraviolet light also includes semiconductor layer regions, which are formed in and on the above-mentioned photodiodes, and each of which includes a highest concentration position of semiconductor impurities.

Solid light-receiving device for UV light

Provided is a photodiode having a high-concentration layer on its surface, in which the high-concentration layer is formed so that the thickness of a non-depleted region is larger than the roughness of an interface between silicon and an insulation film layer, and is smaller than a penetration depth of ultraviolet light.

Photodiode and method for producing the same, photodiode array, spectrophotometer and solid-state imaging device

A plurality of photodiodes arrayed in a one-dimensional form are divided into a plurality of groups. The structure of an antireflection coating is changed for each group so that all the surfaces of the photodiodes belonging to each group are covered with an antireflection coating having a transmittance characteristic which shows a maximum transmittance within a range of wavelengths of light to be received by those photodiodes. In particular, a SiOcoating layer on the silicon substrate and an AlOcoating layer are common to all the photodiodes, while the structure of the upper layers are modified with respect to the wavelength. Within an ultraviolet wavelength region, the coating structure is more finely changed with respect to the wavelength. By such a design, the transmittance can be improved while making the best efforts to avoid a complex manufacturing process.

Growing community of inventors

Sendai, Japan

Rihito Kuroda