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  • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14643—Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
  • H01L27/14654—Blooming suppression
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  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
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  • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14601—Structural or functional details thereof
  • H01L27/14609—Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements
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  • H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
  • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14643—Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
  • H01L27/14649—Infrared imagers
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  • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14643—Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
  • H01L27/14649—Infrared imagers
  • H01L27/1465—Infrared imagers of the hybrid type
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  • H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
  • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14683—Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof
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  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14683—Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof
  • H01L27/14689—MOS based technologies
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  • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
  • H01L27/146—Imager structures
  • H01L27/14683—Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof
  • H01L27/14694—The active layers comprising only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs, InP
• • H—ELECTRICITY
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  • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
  • H01L31/08—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors
  • H01L31/10—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors characterised by potential barriers, e.g. phototransistors
  • H01L31/101—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation
  • H01L31/102—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier
  • H01L31/103—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier the potential barrier being of the PN homojunction type
  • H01L31/1035—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier the potential barrier being of the PN homojunction type the devices comprising active layers formed only by AIIIBV compounds
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
  • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L31/184—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof the active layers comprising only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs, InP
  • H01L31/1844—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof the active layers comprising only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs, InP comprising ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. Ga Al As, In Ga As P
• • H—ELECTRICITY
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  • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
  • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L31/186—Particular post-treatment for the devices, e.g. annealing, impurity gettering, short-circuit elimination, recrystallisation
  • H01L31/1868—Passivation
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
  • Y02E10/544—Solar cells from Group III-V materials
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

• the invention relates to photodiode arrays, and more particularly to photodiode matrices based on gallium-indium arsenide (InGaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) layers, as well as their method of manufacturing.
• InGaAs gallium-indium arsenide
• InP indium phosphide
• One of the methods for fabricating photodiode matrixes in semiconductor materials with a narrow band gap is to insert the active low band detection layer. gap between two semiconductor materials with large band gap.
• the two large band gap semiconductor layers provide effective protection / passivation while remaining transparent to the wavelength of the radiation to be detected by the photodiodes.
• the two heterojunctions between the active layer and the two protection / passivation layers confine the photoelectric charges in the active detection layer and improve the quantum yield of the photodiode thus constructed.
• the active detection layer made of the InGaAs material can have an adjustable band gap depending on the indium and gallium composition in the InGaAs, ideal for operating in the SWIR (Short Wave Infrared) short-wave infrared band. wave), of the order of 1, 4 to 3 ⁇ .
• Indium phosphide and gallium-indium arsenide share the same face-centered cubic crystal structure.
• the most used composition is lno.53Gao.47As.
• the crystal mesh size is then comparable to that of the InP substrate, in particular the mesh parameters. This crystal compatibility allows the epitaxial growth of an InGaAs active layer of excellent quality on an InP substrate.
• the band gap of ln 0 .53Ga 0 .47As is about 0.73 eV, capable of detecting up to a wavelength of 1.68 ⁇ in the SWIR band. It has a growing interest in fields of application such as spectrometry, night vision, sorting of used plastics, etc.
• Both protection / passivation layers are usually made in InP.
• Figure 1 illustrates the physical structure of a matrix 1 of photodiodes.
• An active layer 5 composed of InGaAs is sandwiched between two layers of InP.
• the lower layer is indeed the substrate 4 on which the InGaAs layer is formed by complex MO-CVD epitaxy.
• This InGaAs layer is then protected by a thin passivation layer 6 composed of InP, also deposited by epitaxy.
• the InP layers are generally N type, doped with silicon.
• the active layer 5 of InGaAs may be slightly N-doped or remain quasi-intrinsic.
• the two lower / upper InP layers and the InGaAs active layer 5 form the common cathode of the photodiodes in this matrix.
• Individual anodes 3 are formed by local diffusion of zinc (Zn).
• Zn dopant passes through the thin InP passivation layer 6 and enters the InGaAs active layer.
• FIG. 2 illustrates an I nGaAs image sensor consisting of a matrix 1 of InGaAs photodiodes connected in flip-chip mode with a reading circuit 2.
• the matrix of photodiodes is connected to a reading circuit generally made of silicon in order to read the photoelectric signals generated by these InGaAs photodiodes.
• This interconnection is generally done by the flip-chip process via indium balls 7, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
• the radiation SWIR 9 arrives on the matrix of the photodiodes through the substrate 4 of indium phosphide, transparent in this optical band.
• EP1 354360 proposes a solar cell mode operation of a photodiode 51 in order to obtain a logarithmic response as a function of the intensity of the incident optical radiation 59.
• the photodiode 51 receives no external polarization and it is forward biased by the photoelectric charges generated in its junction.
• the forward bias voltage observed on the photodiode is proportional to the logarithm of the incident optical flux.
• EP1354360 also proposes to associate a read circuit 55 with switching to the photodiode.
• the selection signal SEL in order to select the desired photodiode 51 by closing the switch 54.
• the first read signal RD1 is activated which will close the corresponding controlled switch in order to memorize the voltages of a first reading in the memory 56. This first reading records both the image and the fixed spatial noise.
• EP1354360 has been applied in an InGaAs sensor and works perfectly. But a phenomenon of dazzling ("blooming" in Anglo-Saxon terminology) is observed for diurnal scenes. This phenomenon can be simply described as a loss of spatial resolution in an image. The detector nevertheless continues to be sensitive to the variation of light according to the logarithmic law. This phenomenon is not observed in other types of photodiodes such as those based on silicon, InSb or MCT.
• the present invention proposes a simple and effective solution to this phenomenon of blooming in a matrix of InGaAs photodiodes.
• the solution proposed by the present invention also allows an improvement of the image quality in a conventional detector in integration mode.
• a method of manufacturing a matrix of photodiodes comprising
• a cathode comprising at least one indium phosphide substrate layer and an active layer of gallium indium arsenide, and a plurality of anodes formed at least partly in the active layer of gallium indium arsenide by the diffusion of a p-type dopant, the cooperation between an anode and the cathode forming a photodiode, the method comprising the following steps:
• an N-type indium phosphide passivation layer is produced on the active layer before the diffusion of the P-type dopant forming the anodes, and - A first selective etching of the passivation layer is carried out in order to selectively remove over its entire thickness an area of said passivation layer surrounding each anode.
• the first selective etching is a chemical etching performed with a first selective chemical etching agent
• the selective chemical etching agent is a solution of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid
• the method further comprises a subsequent N-type doping passivation step of etched regions of the indium phosphide passivation layer and the active gallium-indium arsenide layer discovered by the first selective etch;
• the method further further comprises a subsequent step of second selective etching selectively removing throughout its thickness a zone of the active layer surrounding each anode;
• the second selective etching is a chemical etching performed with a second selective chemical etching agent
• the second chemical selective etching agent is an aqueous solution comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide
• the second etching is followed by a subsequent N-type doping passivation step of the etched indium phosphide passivation layer and gallium-indium arsenide active layer layers discovered by the first selective etching and by the second selective engraving.
• the doping depth N is between 0.5 ⁇ and 2 ⁇ .
• the invention also relates to a matrix of photodiodes comprising:
• a cathode comprising at least one layer of indium phosphide substrate and an active layer of gallium indium arsenide
• a plurality of anodes formed, at least in part in the active layer, by the diffusion of a P type dopant, the cooperation between an anode and the cathode forming a photodiode, an N-type indium phosphide passivation layer in which at least a portion of the anodes is formed by diffusion of a P-type dopant, and in that the photodiode array comprises zones surrounding each anode in which said Passivation layer is absent throughout its thickness.
• the matrix of photodiodes comprises zones surrounding each anode in which said active layer of gallium-indium arsenide is absent throughout its thickness.
• the photodiode array comprises regions of the passivation layer and the active layer in contact with said zones surrounding each anode are passivated by N-type doping.
• the invention also relates, according to a third aspect, to an image sensor incorporating a reading circuit and a photodiode array according to the second aspect.
• the read circuit is a logarithmic circuit.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a matrix of InGaAs photodiodes of the state of the art
• FIG. 2 already commented on, illustrates an InGaAs image sensor consisting of a matrix of InGaAs photodiodes connected in flip-chip with a silicon substrate reading circuit;
• FIG. 4 illustrates the different junctions in a matrix of photodiodes of the state of the art
• FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a manufacturing method according to the invention
• FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a photodiode array in which an area of the passivation layer surrounding each anode has been suppressed by a first selective etch
• FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the passivation of the zones etched by the first selective etching by N-type doping of the exposed zones
• FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a photodiode array in which an area of the passivation layer and the active layer surrounding each anode has been suppressed by first and second selective etches;
• FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the passivation of the zones etched by the first and the second etching by N-type doping of the exposed zones.
• FIG. 10 illustrates an InGaAs image sensor consisting of a matrix of photodiodes according to the invention connected in flip-chip with a reading circuit on a silicon substrate.
• each photodiode contains several PN junctions, one of which is wanted and a certain number which are parasitic. These PN junctions are illustrated in FIG. 4.
• the PN junctions 31 between the anodes 3 and the active layer 5 are desired and constitute the diodes of the photodiode array.
• the side parasitic PN junctions 32 between the anodes 3 and the passivation layer 6 constitute a possible electrical pathway between the neighboring photodiodes via the passivation layer.
• a conventional read circuit integrates, in a capacitance, the reverse current into the photodiode by applying an inverse bias on the photodiode.
• the side parasitic junctions 32 in the photodiodes are reverse biased at the same time with the effect of adding an additional parasitic current into the integration capacitance.
• This parasitic current degrades the image quality, but generates almost no crosstalk between neighboring photodiodes.
• These parasitic currents can be partially compensated by complex image processing on the raw image coming out of the read circuit.
• the junction is forward biased by the incident light.
• the side parasitic junctions 32 are also forward biased and they constitute a passage of electric current between neighboring photodiodes. This direct polarization becomes all the more important as the incident optical intensity increases, thus creating a blooming phenomenon which considerably degrades the spatial resolution of the sensor.
• the present invention provides a structure for suppressing lateral conductivity in a matrix of InGaAs photodiodes.
• a matrix of photodiodes manufactured according to the present invention can be exploited in solar cell mode as described in EP1354360, without loss of spatial resolution, even in the presence of very high optical intensities.
• Such a matrix also provides an improvement in image quality with a conventional reading circuit in integration mode, such as, for example, the different ISC9705 and ISC9809 CMOS reading circuits marketed by Indigo / FLIR in the USA.
• the ISC9705 circuit integrates the photoelectric current of a photodiode directly onto a capacitor (direct injection mode) and the ISC9809 circuit integrates the photoelectric current through an operational amplifier (CTIA mode).
• CTIA mode allows a higher charge-to-voltage conversion gain that promotes detection sensitivity.
• FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the method of manufacturing a matrix of photodiodes according to the invention. After obtaining a photodiode matrix structure, for example by:
• step S1 epitaxial growth (step S1) of an active layer 5 of gallium-indium arsenide on an indium phosphide substrate 4,
• step S2 epitaxial growth of an N-type indium phosphide passivation layer 6 on the active layer 5,
• step S3 formation of the anodes 3 by a selective diffusion of zinc as a P-type dopant in the passivation layer 6 and the active layer 5,
• a first selective etching is applied (step S4) in order to remove over its entire thickness a zone 10 of the passivation layer 6 surrounding each anode 3.
• This first selective etching selectively removes the passivation layer 6 to the active layer 5.
• the InP layers are of the N type doped with silicon.
• the active layer 5 of InGaAs may be slightly N-doped or remain quasi-intrinsic. Thus, the two lower / upper InP layers and the InGaAs active layer 5 form the common cathode of the photodiodes in this matrix.
• FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a photodiode array 101 in which an area 10 of the passivation layer 6 surrounding each anode has thus been suppressed by this first selective etching.
• a mask 15 is applied in order to define the zones 10 of the passivation layer 6 to be deleted by the first etching.
• the photodiode array thus comprises zones surrounding each anode in which the passivation layer 6 is absent throughout its thickness.
• This first etching is preferably a chemical etching carried out by means of a first selective chemical etching agent, preferably a solution of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid, of formula HCl: H 3 PO 5 .
• a first selective chemical etching agent preferably a solution of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid, of formula HCl: H 3 PO 5 .
• the solution HCL: H3P05 makes it possible to selectively dissolve the passivation layer 6 composed of indium phosphide InP and to stop the etching on arrival on the active layer 5 composed of gallium-indium arsenide InGaAs. Thanks to this selectivity of the etching, the removal of the passivation layer 6 can be done simply.
• the area 10 of the passivation layer 6 surrounding each of the anodes 3 to be removed does not need to be large and may be limited to the accuracy of the lithography. Therefore, this zone 10 can be kept far enough away from the Zn scattering constituting an anode 3, where the photoelectric charge capture region is located.
• the first selective etching removes a zone sufficiently far from the anodes 3 for this first selective etching does not reach the PN junction between the P type anode 3 and the N type passivation layer 6.
• This first etching is preferably chemical, but it may optionally be a dry etching, for example a plasma etching. Chemical etching is however preferred because it does not cause physical damage in the etching area. In all cases, the defects created by this first etching have little impact on the dark current of the photodiode because they are sufficiently far from the diffusion zones of the zinc.
• An insulation-based passivation such as SiN x silicon nitride or SiO 2 silicon dioxide may be applied as a result of this etching.
• an insulation-based passivation does not sufficiently reduce the number of faults interfaced.
• passivation is preferably carried out (step S6) by N-type doping of the etching regions 11 of the passivation layer 6 and the active layer 5 exposed by the first etching.
• the structure after this N doping is illustrated in FIG. 7, in which regions 11 of the passivation layer 6 and of the active layer 5 in contact with the zones 10 surrounding each anode are passivated by an N-type doping.
• N doping said regions 11 can be controlled between 0.5 ⁇ and 2 ⁇ , depending in particular on the type of etching, chemical or dry, and the size of the photodiodes.
• the surface generation is rapidly recombined in the N doping region.
• the heterojunction formed by this N doping inside the InGaAs active layer 5 delivers the photoelectric charges to the Zn diffusion zone, ie say the capture area. So the quantum efficiency is improved.
• the passivation is advantageously carried out by means of an N-type doping rather than a P-type doping.
• a second selective etching removes a zone 20 over its entire thickness. active layer 5 surrounding each anode is implemented (step S5), knowing that after the first etching of the passivation layer 6, the active layer 5 is exposed at the zones 10 surrounding each of the anodes, as illustrated by FIG. 6.
• This second selective etching selectively removes the active layer 5 to the substrate 4, at the zones of the active layer exposed by the first etching.
• the second selective etching removes an area sufficiently far from the anodes 3 so that this first selective etching does not reach the PN junction between the P-type anode 3 and the cathode constituted by the passivation layer 6. and active layer 5, type N.
• the selective suppression of zones of the passivation layer 6 around each photodiode anode 3 eliminates the lateral conductivity between neighboring photodiodes.
• the lateral propagation of the photoelectric charges in the active layer of gallium-indium arsenide InGaAs can also degrade the spatial resolution of a sensor incorporating such a photodiode matrix. Partial deletion of the InGaAs active layer around the Zn diffusion can be very beneficial to the spatial resolution of the InGaAs sensor.
• This second etching which removes throughout its thickness a ring 20 of the active layer 5 of gallium-indium arsenide InGaAs around the Zn diffusion, is preferably also chemical and implemented by means of a second etching agent selective chemical.
• a second etching agent selective chemical For this second etching, use is preferably made of an aqueous solution comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide of the formula ## STR2 ##
• Such a solution selectively grabs only the active layer 5 composed of gallium-indium arsenide InGaAs but preserves the indium phosphide constituting the passivation layer 6 and the substrate 4.
• FIG. 8 shows a matrix 101 of photodiodes resulting from the second etching.
• the matrix 101 of photodiodes then comprises zones 20 surrounding each anode in which said active layer 5 of gallium-indium arsenide is absent throughout its thickness.
• this second etching by means of H 2 SO 2 is beneficial for forming a thin layer protecting the structure against ambient oxidation.
• this second etching is preferably chemical, it may optionally be a dry etching, for example a plasma etching. Chemical etching is however preferred because it does not cause physical damage in the etching area. In all cases, the defects created by this second etching have little impact on the dark current of the photodiode because they are sufficiently far from the zinc diffusion zones.
• An insulation-based passivation such as SiN x silicon nitride or SiO 2 silicon dioxide may be applied as a result of this etching.
• an insulation-based passivation does not sufficiently reduce the number of faults interfaced.
• step (S6) is then followed by N-doped passivation of the etched zones of the passivation layer 6 and of the active layer 5 discovered by the first and second etchings.
• a photodiode matrix structure 101 of the type illustrated in FIG. 9 is then obtained, in which regions 21 of the InP passivation layer 6 and the InGaAs active layer 5 in contact with the zones 20 surrounding each anode. were passivated by an N-type doping.
• regions 21 of the InP passivation layer 6 and the InGaAs active layer 5 in contact with the zones 20 surrounding each anode. were passivated by an N-type doping.
• an area of the substrate 4 discovered by the second etching was also passivated by N-type doping.
• a matrix 101 of photodiodes is obtained, each comprising:
• a cathode comprising at least one indium phosphide substrate layer 4 and an N-type gallium-indium arsenide active layer,
• anodes 3 formed, at least in part in the active layer 5, by the diffusion of a P-type dopant, the cooperation between an anode 3 and the cathode forming a photodiode,
• the matrix 101 has zones 20 surrounding each anode 3 in which said active layer 5 of gallium-indium arsenide is absent throughout its thickness.
• FIG. 10 illustrates an InGaAs image sensor consisting of a matrix 101 of I nGaAs photodiodes according to the invention, and more precisely similar to that represented by FIG. 9, connected in flip chip with a read circuit 2.
• the matrix of photodiodes is connected to a readout circuit made on a substrate if there is a connection between the photoelectric signals generated by these InGaAs photodiodes. This interconnection is generally carried out by the chip method returned via Indium balls 7, as illustrated in FIG. 10.
• the radiation SWI R 9 arrives on the matrix of photodiodes through the substrate 4 of indium phosphide, transparent in this optical band.
• the reading circuit 2 is a logarithmic reading circuit as described above and shown in FIG.

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