Patent · US Expired

Silicon light-receiving device

US7253491B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
9References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2002
Grant dateAug 7, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 16, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/547

Abstract

A silicon light-receiving device is provided. In the device, a substrate is based on n-type or p-type silicon. A doped region is ultra-shallowly doped with the opposite type dopant to the dopant type of the substrate on one side of the substrate so that a photoelectric conversion effect for light in a wavelength range of 100-1100 nm is generated by a quantum confinement effect in the p-n junction with the substrate. First and second electrodes are formed on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the doped region. Due to the ultra-shallow doped region on the silicon substrate, a quantum confinement effect is generated in the p-n junction. Even though silicon is used as a semiconductor material, the quantum efficiency of the silicon light-receiving device is far higher than that of a conventional solar cell, owing to the quantum confinement effect. The silicon light-receiving device can also be formed to absorb light in a particular or large wavelength band, and used as a solar cell.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.