Amorphous Oxide Electrode Stress Reduction in Imaging Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging elements with crystalline ITO transparent electrodes suffer from internal stress, leading to stress damage and complex formation processes, which complicates the formation of stress buffer layers and affects the characteristics of the imaging elements.
Innovation Solution
A laminated structure with a first electrode, a light-receiving layer, and a second electrode made of transparent amorphous oxide, which reduces internal stress and eliminates the need for a complex stress buffer layer, ensuring reliable light transmission and improved sealing properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a crystalline ITO transparent electrode is used, then good light transmission is achieved, but internal stress increases causing stress damage to the light-receiving layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the structural parameter of the transparent electrode from crystalline to amorphous state. This parameter change reduces the internal stress while maintaining transparency, thereby preventing stress damage to the light-receiving layer without sacrificing light transmission performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of an amorphous transparent electrode layer combined with a stress buffer layer. This composite material approach allows the amorphous electrode to provide stress relief while the buffer layer further mitigates any remaining stress, effectively preventing stress damage while maintaining optical properties
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a stress buffer layer with laminated structure is added, then stress damage is reduced, but the formation process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrode material state from crystalline to amorphous, which inherently reduces internal stress. This parameter change eliminates the need for complex multi-layer stress buffer structures, simplifying the overall device structure while still preventing stress damage to the light-receiving layer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the stress relief function from a separate complex stress buffer layer and integrates it into the amorphous transparent electrode itself. By taking out the need for separate stress buffer layers, the invention simplifies the structure while maintaining stress damage prevention
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a stress buffer layer with laminated structure is added, then stress damage is reduced, but formation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrode from crystalline to amorphous state, which reduces internal stress inherently. This eliminates the need for time-consuming formation of multiple stress buffer layers, thereby reducing overall formation time while still preventing stress damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the need for separate stress buffer layer formation processes by incorporating stress relief properties directly into the amorphous transparent electrode. This extraction of the stress buffer function reduces the total number of formation steps and decreases overall formation time
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of transparent amorphous oxide electrodes in imaging elements reduces stress damage, enhances light current characteristics, and improves sensitivity uniformity, while maintaining a simple structure and efficient formation process.
Implementation Method 1
a light-receiving layer (a photoelectric conversion layer)... a transparent electrode to which light enters
Implementation Method 2
the second electrode is made of a transparent amorphous oxide having a conductive property... internal stress at the second electrode decreases
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging element has a laminated structure including a first electrode, a light-receiving layer formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the light-receiving layer. The second electrode is made of a transparent amorphous oxide having a conductive property.