Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Field effect device – Having insulated electrode
Patent
1993-11-04
1995-06-13
Wojciechowicz, Edward
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Field effect device
Having insulated electrode
257293, 257458, 257463, 257656, H01L 2714
Patent
active
054245656
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a semiconductor detector having a completely or partially depleted primary area.
Semiconductor detectors of this type are utilized to detect ionization radiation and permit readout of both majority as well as minority charge carriers. They are utilized, in particular, in the form of so-called strip detectors for the determination of the position of ionization radiation.
STATE OF THE ART
As is well known, i.a., classical p-i-n-type diodes are used no detect ionization radiation. An essential feature of such p-i-n-type diodes is a high-resistive semiconductor of n-silicon which is provided with a passivating oxide layer. On the front main surface, a window is opened in the passivating layer and a high p-doping is carried out in this area. On the rear main surface also in the surface area is a thin conductive layer of high n-doping. On both areas of high conductivity are metal electrodes. The highly doped p-layer generates an asymmetrical p-n junction, the space charge zone of which extends into the low-doped semiconductor body if the diode is poled in the barrier direction, i.e. if a negative voltage is applied to the p-side. The space charge zone can be utilized to detect electromagnetic and particle radiation. High doping of both contacts is advantageous in order to restrict the diffusion current of the diode.
A semiconductor detector of this type is described in DE-A-37 15 674, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4 896 201. By means of the integration of the readout capacities and the protection resistors, a reduction of the complexity of the external electronic readout is achieved, solely due to which utilization of these detectors in many cases has become possible.
These hitherto known detectors require very complicated engineering in their in fabrication, because several masking steps and implantations have to be conducted on both sides of the semiconductor body. In particular, considering utilization of large quantities of such detectors in fundamental research, manufacturing engineering aspects will play an increasingly important role in the future.
Presentation of the Invention
The object of the present invention is to improve a semiconductor detector in such a manner that simplification of the manufacturing process can be achieved with the same or similar electric properties.
The key element of the present invention consists of not generating the electrodes of high conductivity in both surface areas required for building a space charge zone in a semiconductor body of the first conductivity type by doping, but rather by creating accumulation zones, respectively inversion zones, on both main surfaces. In order to be able to extend the space charge zone in the semiconductor body, conducting connections between the inversion zones, respectively, accumulation zones, and the external voltage sources must be created via suited contacts. The contacts are made highly resistive by an externally controllable resistance layer to the electrodes of the same type of conductivity and are located on one surface of the two main surfaces. These electrodes represent the sole ohmic contact to the outside. The coupling-out of the signal charge occurs capacitatively via the accumulation, respectively the inversion zone, at the outer electrodes.
Furthermore, for decisive savings in the production of the invented, position-sensitive semiconductor detector, the production of the detector structure can be realized in only three masking steps.
Further provisions of the invented solution are to be drawn from the claims.
Especially remarkable in the type of structure and mode of operation of the new semiconductor detector is that no contacts to the semiconductor body itself are required on the rear side of the detector. This side has only an electrode structure on the insulator. In this way, an especially simple manufacturing process for two-faced strip detectors or similar elements has been discovered.
Another feature differenciating the present invention from the state-of-the-ar
REFERENCES:
patent: 4837607 (1989-06-01), Kemmer et al.
Kemmer Josef
Wojciechowicz Edward
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