Semiconductor structure, method of operating same, and production method

US9165972B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Suess · San Jose, US
• Werner Brockherde · Duisburg, DE
• Bedrich Hosticka · Rübhausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 2013
• Grant date: Oct 20, 2015
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10F39/807

Abstract

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a photosensitive zone configured such that photogenerated charges may be accumulated in a first potential well, a region of the first conductivity type, formed in the semiconductor layer, for temporarily storing the photogenerated charges in a second potential well, a transfer gate between the region of the second conductivity type and the photosensitive zone for defining a potential barrier between the first and second potential wells during a non-transfer phase, and for eliminating the potential barrier between the first and second potential wells during a transfer phase, and a readout structure for reading out the temporarily stored photogenerated charges, which includes a JFET, the gate of which is formed by the region of the second conductivity type.