Semiconductor element having grooves which divide an electrode layer, and method of forming the grooves

Abstract

A semiconductor element is disclosed including a construction with electrode-dividing grooves, in which a dark current is smaller than in existing examples. A method of forming such grooves is also disclosed. In an embodiment, grooves, which electrically divide an electrode layer formed on the surface of a substrate, are formed with a V-shaped cross-sectional shape, groove side walls in the electrode layer, constituting the grooves, being sloping surfaces. An embodiment of the method of forming the grooves includes using a dicing blade having a blade distal end portion which is sharpened into a V-shape to cut a semiconductor wafer in which multiple patterns of semiconductor elements including an electrode layer on the surface of a substrate are formed, forming the grooves having a V-shaped cross-sectional shape which divide the electrode layer in each semiconductor element.

1 . A semiconductor element, comprising:
 a substrate; and   an electrode layer formed on a surface of the substrate, the electrode layer including grooves to electrically divide the electrode layer, side walls of the grooves in the electrode layer including sloping surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the grooves is a V-shape. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the grooves is a U-shape, corner portions of an opening of the U-shape being chamfered. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein multiple pixel electrodes are formed by electrically dividing the electrode layer by way of the grooves, and wherein the semiconductor element is usable in the detection of radiation. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor element of  claim 4 , wherein the substrate comprises a CdTe-based compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         6 . A method of forming grooves in a semiconductor element, comprising:
 using a dicing blade, including a blade distal end portion sharpened into a V-shape, to cut a semiconductor wafer in which multiple patterns of semiconductor elements comprising an electrode layer on a surface of a substrate are formed; and   forming V-shaped grooves to divide the electrode layer of the semiconductor element.   
     
     
         7 . A method of forming grooves in a semiconductor element, comprising:
 using a first dicing blade, including a blade distal end portion sharpened into a V-shape, to cut a semiconductor wafer in which multiple patterns of semiconductor elements comprising an electrode layer on a surface of a substrate are formed; and   after the cutting has been performed, using a second dicing blade, including a blade width relatively narrower than a blade width of the first dicing blade, to increase a depth of the V-shaped grooves, and to form grooves corner portions of openings of the V-shaped grooves which are chamfered.   
     
     
         8 . A method of forming grooves in a semiconductor element, comprising:
 using a first dicing blade to cut a semiconductor wafer in which multiple patterns of semiconductor elements comprising an electrode layer on the surface of a substrate are formed; and   after the cutting has been performed, using a second dicing blade, including a blade width relatively wider than a blade width of the first dicing blade and including a blade distal end portion sharpened into a V-shape, to cut corner portions of openings of the V-shaped grooves to form grooves, corner portions of the openings of which are chamfered and which divide the electrode layer in each of the semiconductor elements.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein multiple pixel electrodes for detecting radiation are formed by dividing the electrode layer by way of the grooves. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor wafer is a CdTe-based compound semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a CdTe-based compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor element of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises a CdTe-based compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor element of  claim 3 , wherein the substrate comprises a CdTe-based compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein multiple pixel electrodes for detecting radiation are formed by dividing the electrode layer by way of the grooves. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the semiconductor wafer is a CdTe-based compound semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein multiple pixel electrodes for detecting radiation are formed by dividing the electrode layer by way of the grooves. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the semiconductor wafer is a CdTe-based compound semiconductor wafer.