Other

Zaidan Hojin Handotai Kenkyu Shinkokai

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Junichi Nishizawa

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Nikon Corporation

Tohoku Electric Power Company, Inc.

Semiconductor Research Foundation

Research Development Corporation

Fuji Film Co., Ltd.

Tohoku Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tsuken Electric Ind. Co., Ltd.

Takashige Tamamushi

Jun-ichi Nishizawa

Sohbe Suzuki

Sobei Suzuki

Koji Shimanuki

Ken-ichi Nonaka

Masafumi Inuiya

Hideo Maeda

Atsushi Yusa

Soubei Suzuki

Koichi Mitamura

Kiyoo Mitsui

Tadahiro Ohmi

Hidetoshi Yamada

Masaharu Imai

Toyokazu Mizoguchi

Kaoru Motoya

Takashi Mizusaki

Fumihiko Ando

Yasuo Arisawa

Shigeo Yoshikawa

Kiyoshi Wagatsuma

Sinpei Maruyama

Ohmi Tadahiro

Toyota Wako

Mitsuo Ikehara

Istvan Barsony

Koji Ishibashi

Hiroo Takahashi

Kimio Miura

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductive substrate of a low impurity concentration, a channel area of a low impurity concentration formed on the substrate, a source area formed on the channel area and having a high impurity concentration of a conductive type opposite to that of the substrate, a drain area formed on the channel area and having a high impurity concentration of a conductive type opposite to that of the substrate, and an accumulating gate area formed on the channel area and having a conductive type same as that of the substrate. The source area and drain area are arranged in a predetermined direction along the substrate. The accumulating gate area comprises a first part sandwiched between the source area and the drain area and extended in a direction crossing the predetermined direction and second and third parts connected with the first part and approximately extended in the predetermined direction. The accumulating gate area is adapted to accumulate a charge corresponding to the intensity of the incident radiation. A current flows from one to the other of the source area and the drain area through a part of the channel area sandwiched between the first part of the accumulating gate area and the substrate. The potential of the accumulating gate area varies according to the accumulated charge. The current varies according to the potential of the accumulating gate area.

Photoelectric converting device with accumulating gate region

This invention relates to a PWM power converter for switching a plurality of bridge-connected semiconductor switching elements based on PWM signals. As the semiconductor switching elements, elements with a low ON voltage and small conduction loss, and elements with a small switching loss and capable of high-speed switching are combined to improve power conversion efficiency.

PWM power converter using mixed bipolar and static induction transistors

A thyristor device comprising an SI (Static induction) thyristor or beam base thyristor and an SIT (static induction transistor) or SIT-mode bipolar transistor connected to the gate of the thyristor in order to make it possible to turn-on and-off a direct current and voltage at a high speed with a light. In the thyristor part, the SIT gate structure or SIT-mode beam base structure exists in the first gate or base region or second gate or base region so that, at the time of the triggering operation, a very high switching efficiency will be obtained.

Light quenchable thyristor device

A pair of static induction thyristors, which are coupled in parallel in the opposite bias directions between an AC power source and a load, is turned on by a light signal and is turned off by natural commutation, a light signal or an electric signal. The turn-off light signal is generated within a phase angle of 90.degree. in the time axis around the zero-cross point of the AC voltage from the AC power source.

Power control apparatus

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate of a low impurity concentration, a channel region formed on the substrate and having a low impurity concentration, a source region formed on the channel region and having a high impurity concentration of a conductive type opposite to that of the substrate, and a drain region formed on the channel region and having a high impurity concentration of a conductive type opposite to that of the substrate. The source region and the drain region are arranged along a predetermined direction along the substrate. The semiconductor device further includes an accumulating gate region of a conductive type same as that of the substrate, so formed as to surround either one of the source region and drain region, leaving a part of said channel region sandwiched between the source region and the drain region. A current flows from either to the other of the source region and the drain region through the part of the channel region sandwiched between the source region and the region. A charge is accumulated in the accumulating gate region according to the intensity of radiation incident on the device. The potential of the accumulating gate region is variable according to the accumulated charge. The current is variable according to the potential of the accumulating gate region.

Static induction and punching-through photosensitive transistor devices

An integrated light-triggered and light-quenched static induction thyristor and fabrication process thereof adapted in such a manner that an integrated SIPT operates in the normal mode in order to enhance current gain, tail current generated at the light-quenching time is reduced in order to enhance turn-off gain, and an buried-gate type of light-triggered static induction thyristor and a photo-darlington circuit composed of a first and second static induction phototransistors are integrated on a high-resistivity substrate in order to permit manufacturing said thyristor compact as a whole in facilitated processes.

Method of making an integrated light-triggered and light-quenched static

A solid state image pick-up device having a number of static induction transistor image sensors arranged in a matrix form, each static induction image sensor includes a drain region formed by an n+ substrate connected to the earth potential, a channel region formed by an n.sup.- epitaxial layer grown on the substrate, a ring-shaped p+ gate region formed in a surface of the epitaxial layer, an n+ source region formed in a part of the surface of the epitaxial layer surrounded by the ring-shaped gate region and a p+ overflow drain region formed in the surface of the substrate underneath the gate region. By adjusting a time duration of a shutter control signal having a positive voltage applied to the overflow drain region, a time period during which photocarriers, i.e. electrons are flown into the gate region and stored therein, can be controlled at will, and an electronic shutter function can be achieved.

Solid state image pick-up device having a number of static induction

An integrated light-triggered and light-quenched static induction thyristor and fabrication process thereof adapted in such a manner that an integrated SIPT operates in the normal mode in order to enhance current gain, tail current generated at the light-quenching time is reduced in order to enhance turn-off gain, and a buried-gate type of light-triggered static induction thyristor and a photo-darlington circuit composed of a first and second static induction phototransistors are integrated on a high-resistivity substrate in order to permit manufacturing said thyristor compact as a whole in facilitated processes.

Integrated light-triggered and light-quenched static induction thyristor

Color image sensor

A semiconductor imaging device composed of a matrix of pixels, each pixel being implemented with a single static induction transistor. Each static induction transistor includes a pair of principal electrode regions disposed facing each other through a highly resistive channel region. First and second gate regions of the conduction type opposite that of the principal electrode regions is formed in contact with the channel region and used to control the current flow between the two principal electrode regions. A capacitor is formed on at least part of the first gate region, whereby carriers generated by light exitation are stored in the first gate region. The second gate region is formed surrounding the first gate region and is common to all pixels. This construction provides a high-level output signal and good isolation between pixels, with an attendant increase in blooming resistance.

Semiconductor imaging device

The present invention provides an optically controlled power converting apparatus using light trigger/light quench electrostatic induction thyristors, as switching elements, which can execute the switching operations at a high speed being when they are supplied with light trigger pulses and light quench pulses. By supplying the light trigger pulses and light quench pulses at the timings corresponding to the pulse width modulation, the light trigger/light quench electrostatic induction thyristors can perform predetermined power converting operations.

Optically controlled power converting apparatus

A semiconductor imaging device employing SIT (Static Induction Transistor) pixels having in the control gate region of each pixel a capacitor having optimum properties. Each pixel is constituted by an SIT having a pair of principal electrode regions of one conduction type facing one another through a highly resistive channel region. First and second gate regions of the other conduction type in contact with the channel region control the current flow between the two principal electrode regions. A transparent electrode is formed on at least part of the first gate region through a capacitor. Carriers generated by light excitation stored in the first gate region effectively control the current flow between the principal regions. A transparent electrically conductive layer is formed on the first gate region of each SIT through a nitride layer. The conductive layer serves as an electrode to connect the first gate region to the output of a gate control circuit.

A solid state image sensor comprising static induction transistors each forming a picture element. Each static induction transistor in the solid state image sensor has a lateral structure in which the source and drain regions are formed by surface regions provided on the same side in an epitaxial layer forming the channel region and a signal charge storage gate region are formed by a buried gate region provided under the channel region and a surface gate region provided on the channel region, so that the source-drain current flows in parallel to the surface of epitaxial layer and is effectively controlled between the buried and surface gate regions.

Solid state image sensor

A semiconductor photodetector, and a process for producing a semiconductor photodetector, having a shielding gate region isolated from drain or source regions with only a small junction capacitance therebetween. The photodetector is implemented with a vertical static induction transistor. In the static induction transistor, a control gate region is formed on a first principal surface of a silicon wafer. The shielding gate region is formed on the principal surface surrounding the control gate region. At least one first principal electrode region is formed on the first principal surface between the control region and the shielding gate region. A second principal electrode region is formed on a second principal surface of the wafer on the side thereof opposite the first principal electrode region. The shielding gate region is formed in the silicon wafer at a position deeper than the first principal electrode region.

Static induction transistor photodetector having a deep shielding gate

A semiconductor imaging device having a wide dynamic range to provide optimum output response characteristics under various illuminating conditions. The device includes a single SIT (Static Induction Transistor) which has a pair of principal electrode regions of one conduction type disposed facing one another through a channel region made of high resistivity semiconductor material. First and second gate regions of the other conduction type are formed in contact with the channel region to control the current flow between the two principal electrode regions. The second gate is common to all pixels. The potential at the second gate region is made variable by a variable power supply, a variable resistor connected between the second gate region and ground, a variable capacitor connected between the second gate region and ground, or combinations of these elements.

Semiconductor imaging device utilizing static induction transistors

Growing community of inventors

Sendai, Japan

Takashige Tamamushi