Optical sensor device with deep and shallow control electrodes

US11175389B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE
• PMD TECHNOLOGIES AG · DE

Inventors

• Stefano Parascandola · Dresden, DE
• Henning Feick · Dresden, DE
• Matthias Franke · Haiger, DE
• Dirk Offenberg · Dresden, DE
• Jens Prima · Gehrde, DE
• Robert Joseph Roessler · Rowlett, US
• Michael Sommer · Raubling, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 20, 2020
• Grant date: Nov 16, 2021
• Expiry date: Jan 20, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F39/802
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An optical sensor device configured to detect a time of flight of an electromagnetic signal includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface and a conversion region configured to convert at least a fraction of the electromagnetic signal into photo-generated charge carriers; a first control electrode formed in a trench extending from the main surface into the semiconductor substrate; a second control electrode disposed directly or indirectly on the main surface; a control circuit configured to apply a varying first potential to the first control electrode and to apply a varying second potential to the second control electrode, where the varying second potential has a fixed phase relationship to the first varying potential, to generate electric potential distributions in the conversion region to direct the photo-generated charge carriers; and a readout node arranged in the semiconductor substrate and configured to detect the directed photo-generated charge carriers.