JPS5930202B2 - Photoelectric conversion element with optical fiber - Google Patents

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 この発明は光ファイバが結合された光電変換素子に関し
、特に光電変換素子と光ファイバとの相互位置決めを容
易にし、さらに光電変換効率を改善しようとするもので
ある。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion element coupled with optical fibers, and particularly aims to facilitate mutual positioning of the photoelectric conversion element and the optical fiber, and further improve photoelectric conversion efficiency.

光電変換素子に光ファイバを結合して光の検出を行なう
構成を組立てる場合に、光ファイバと光電変換素子との
相互の位置決めは光ファイバの径が小さく、かつ光電変
換素子の受光面も小さくなるに従つて困難となつてくる
。When assembling a configuration that detects light by coupling an optical fiber to a photoelectric conversion element, the mutual positioning of the optical fiber and the photoelectric conversion element requires that the diameter of the optical fiber is small and the light receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion element is also small. It becomes more difficult as the situation progresses.

特に第１図に示すように半導体基板１０の一面に受光層
１１が複数形成され、必要に応じてこれ等受光層１１を
含む基板１０上に保護膜１２が形成され、更に各受光層
１１とそれぞれ接触した電極が形成され、また基板１０
に共通電極１４が形成されて構成された光電変換素子の
アレイの各素子に光ファイバ２０を１対１で結合させる
場合は光電変換素子の受光層１１の面積が小さくなり、
かつ間隔も小さくなると光ファイバの結合が一層困難に
なる。この発明はこのような点より光７アイバの径より
も大きい開口を持つ凹部が基板の表面に形成され、この
凹部の内面、即ち側面又は底面に光電変換素子の受光面
が形成され、かつ光ファイバの端面がその受光面と対向
するように光ファイバ端部が凹部内に挿入される。In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of light-receiving layers 11 are formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate 10, and a protective film 12 is formed on the substrate 10 including these light-receiving layers 11 as necessary. Contact electrodes are formed and the substrate 10
When the optical fibers 20 are coupled one-to-one to each element of an array of photoelectric conversion elements in which a common electrode 14 is formed, the area of the light-receiving layer 11 of the photoelectric conversion element becomes smaller;
Moreover, as the spacing becomes smaller, coupling of optical fibers becomes more difficult. From this point of view, in this invention, a recess having an opening larger than the diameter of the optical fiber 7 is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the light receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion element is formed on the inner surface, that is, the side or bottom surface of this recess, and The end of the optical fiber is inserted into the recess so that the end face of the fiber faces the light receiving surface.

第２図はこの発明による光ファイバ付光電変換素子の一
実施例を示し、例えば半導体基板１０の一面に、これと
直角な軸心をもつ四角錐形状凹部１５が複数個配列して
形成される゜この凹部１５の内面に受光層１１が形成さ
れ、これは半導体基板上表面にまで延長され、その延長
部に電極１３がそれぞれ形成される。FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the optical fiber-attached photoelectric conversion element according to the present invention, in which, for example, a plurality of quadrangular pyramid-shaped recesses 15 having an axis perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate 10 are arranged and formed on one surface of the semiconductor substrate 10. A light-receiving layer 11 is formed on the inner surface of this recess 15, and extends to the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, and electrodes 13 are formed on each of the extended portions.

凹部１５の基板表面側の径は光ファイバ２０の径よりも
大とされる。光ファイバ２０の一端部がその軸心が凹部
１５の四角錐の軸心とほゞ一致するように各凹部１５内
に挿入される。従つて光ファイバ２０のその挿入端部は
基板１０の上表面に沿つては動かず光ファイバ２０の端
面は固定されている。この状態で図に示してないが樹脂
等でモールドして１個の部品として組立てられる。一方
第１図に示した従来のものでは光ファイバはその一本一
本の位置を決めながら基板１０に接着しなければ、全体
の平面方向の動きがある場合には相互位置がづれて光フ
ァイバと受光層との光結合が不完全になつてしまう。The diameter of the recess 15 on the substrate surface side is larger than the diameter of the optical fiber 20. One end of the optical fiber 20 is inserted into each recess 15 such that its axis substantially coincides with the axis of the square pyramid of the recess 15 . Therefore, the insertion end of the optical fiber 20 does not move along the upper surface of the substrate 10, and the end surface of the optical fiber 20 is fixed. In this state, although not shown in the figure, it is molded with resin or the like and assembled as a single component. On the other hand, in the conventional device shown in FIG. 1, unless the optical fibers are glued to the substrate 10 while determining the position of each fiber, if there is movement in the overall plane direction, the mutual positions of the optical fibers may shift. Optical coupling with the light-receiving layer becomes incomplete.

しかしこの発明の素子では上述したようにそのようなこ
とがない。この発明の素子は、更に第２図に示したよう
に光フアイバ２０から凹部１５内に投射された光Ｌは凹
部１５の斜面で反射をし、凹部の軸心に対し反対側の受
光層に入射することになり、光フアイバ２０によつて伝
達された光は有効に光電変換されるＯ第２図に示した実
施例では光電変換素子は受光層１１と基板１０との障壁
を含んだ部分で実質的に構成されている例を示し、更に
具体的には受光層１１と基板１０とはＰＮ接合を形成し
ている場合が一般的である。However, in the device of the present invention, such a problem does not occur as described above. Further, in the device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the light L projected into the recess 15 from the optical fiber 20 is reflected on the slope of the recess 15 and reaches the light-receiving layer on the opposite side with respect to the axis of the recess. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the photoelectric conversion element is a portion including a barrier between the light receiving layer 11 and the substrate 10. An example in which the light-receiving layer 11 and the substrate 10 are substantially configured is shown, and more specifically, the light-receiving layer 11 and the substrate 10 generally form a PN junction.

しかしこの発明では光電変換素子は半導体基板中で、い
わゆる分離された形で凹部に形成された形でもよいし、
またトランジスタ構成でもよく、光フアイパと結合しな
い部分において種々の電子回路が形成されていてもよい
。また凹部としては角錐形のみならず円錐形、更にこれ
等錐形の頂部が底面とほと平行とされた形状など各種の
ものとしてもよい。光電変換素子はアレイでなく単独の
ものにも適用できる。以上説明したようにこの発明によ
れば、光フアイバと光電変換素子との相互位置決めが簡
単でしかも組立ても容易で光電変換効率の高い光フアイ
バ付光電変換素子を得ることができる。However, in the present invention, the photoelectric conversion element may be formed in a recess in a so-called separated form in the semiconductor substrate;
Alternatively, a transistor configuration may be used, and various electronic circuits may be formed in portions that are not coupled to the optical fiber. Furthermore, the recess may be of various shapes, such as not only a pyramidal shape but also a conical shape, or a shape in which the top of the conical shape is substantially parallel to the bottom surface. The photoelectric conversion element can be applied not only to an array but also to a single element. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a photoelectric conversion element with an optical fiber that allows easy mutual positioning of an optical fiber and a photoelectric conversion element, is easy to assemble, and has high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

第１図は従来の光フアイバ付光電変換素子を示す断面図
、第２図はこの発明による光フアイバ付光電変換素子の
実施例を示す断面図である。 １０・・・・・・基板、１１・・・・・・受光層、１２
・・・・・・保護膜、１３，１４・・・・・・電極、１
５・・・・・・凹所、２０・・・・・・光フアイバ。FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional photoelectric conversion element with an optical fiber, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the photoelectric conversion element with an optical fiber according to the present invention. 10...Substrate, 11...Light receiving layer, 12
...Protective film, 13, 14... Electrode, 1
5... recess, 20... optical fiber.

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] １ 一面に対して軸を直角にし頂点を内部側に位置させ
て複数の錐体状の凹部が形成された基板と、前記凹部内
周面に沿つて前記基板との間に光電変換障壁を形成して
配設された受光層と、前記受光層の前記凹部周辺への延
長部にそれぞれ取り付けられた電極と、前記基板の他面
に形成された共通電極と、前記凹部に前記錐体の軸と端
面を直角にして一端部分が挿入された光ファイバとから
なる光ファイバ付光電変換素子。1. A photoelectric conversion barrier is formed between a substrate in which a plurality of cone-shaped recesses are formed with the axis perpendicular to one surface and the apex located inside, and the substrate along the inner circumferential surface of the recess. a light-receiving layer disposed in the recess; an electrode attached to an extension of the light-receiving layer to the periphery of the recess; a common electrode formed on the other surface of the substrate; and an optical fiber with one end inserted with its end face at a right angle.