Device for reading an image having a common semiconductor layer

Abstract

A device for reading an image (an image reading device) according to this invention comprises therein at least one photoelectric conversion semiconductor device provided on a substrate and at least one thin film transistor circuit element provided on the substrate wherein said photoelectric conversion semiconductor device and said thin film transistor circuit element comprise semiconductor regions obtained from one semiconductor film provided on said substrate. The device for reading an image is produced by a process comprising the steps of: depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate; forming a photoelectric conversion semiconductor device on said substrate, a semiconductor region of said photoelectric conversion semiconductor device being made of said semiconductor material; and forming a thin film transistor on said substrate, a semiconductor region of said thin film transistor being made of said semiconductor material, wherein said thin film transistor constitutes an electric circuit required to read an image.

1. A device for reading an image sensing a light comprising:
 a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, said semiconductor layer comprising an imagea light sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said imagelight sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,  
   wherein a semiconductor region of the light sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer having a semi - amorphous structure formed on the blocking layer over the insulating substrate, and    
 wherein said semiconductor layer has a semi-amorphous structure comprising a mixture of amorphous and crystalline structures, in which a Raman spectrum of the semiconductor film layer exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor.  
 
     
     
       2. The A device of according to  claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor layer comprises hydrogen doped silicon. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1  wherein said semiconductor switch region comprises a thin film transistor of which active region is formed of said semiconductor layer An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine. 
     
     
       4. The A device of according to  claim 1 , wherein said image light sensor region comprises at least two semiconductor regions having different electrical properties and forming a junction. 
     
     
       5. A device for reading an image produced by a process comprising the steps of:
 depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate;    forming a photoelectric conversion semiconductor device on said substrate comprising a p-type impurity semiconductor region, an intrinsic semiconductor region, and an n-type impurity semiconductor region, a semiconductor region of said photoelectric conversion semiconductor device being made of said semiconductor material; and    forming a thin film transistor on said substrate which constitutes an electric circuit required to read an image, a semiconductor region of said thin film transistor being made of said semiconductor material;    wherein said semiconductor regions are arranged in order with said p-type impurity semiconductor region adjacent said intrinsic semiconductor region and said intrinsic semiconductor region adjacent said n-type impurity semiconductor region in said photoelectric conversion semiconductor device, said order being in a direction perpendicular to that in which an image light to be read is incident thereon.    
     
     
       6. The A device of according to claim  4   1 , wherein said two semiconductor regions of the image sensor region are laterally arranged on said substrate the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm −1 . 
     
     
       7. The A device of  claim 5  wherein said photoelectric conversion semiconductor device further comprises an amorphous semiconductor film provided on a side of said intrinsic semiconductor region on which said image light is incident through said amorphous semiconductor film for sensing a light comprising a photoelectric conversion semiconductor device, an n- channel thin film transistor, and a p - channel thin film transistor over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer, the device produced by a process comprising the steps of:  
   forming the blocking layer on the insulating substrate;    
   depositing a semiconductor layer on the blocking layer;    
   forming at least first, second and third semiconductor islands by patterning the semiconductor layer;    
   forming first, second, and third conductive layers over the first, second, and third semiconductor islands with an insulating film interposed therebetween, respectively;    
   adding p - type impurities to the first semiconductor island and a first portion of the third semiconductor island by using the first and third conductive layers as masks; and    
   adding n - type impurities to the second semiconductor island and a second portion of the third semiconductor island by using the second and third conductive layers as masks,    
   wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1 .  
 
     
     
       8. A device for reading an image comprising:
 a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, said semiconductor layer comprising an image sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said image sensor region.    wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility 15-100 cm 2 /V·sec and a hole mobility 10-100 cm 2 /V·sec.    
     
     
       9. A device for reading an image comprising:
 a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, said semiconductor layer comprising an image sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said image sensor region.    wherein said semiconductor layer has a semi-amorphous structure in which a Raman spectrum of the semiconductor film exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor, and said semiconductor switch region comprises complementary p-channel and n-channel thin film transistors.    
     
     
       10. The A device of  claim 9  for sensing a light comprising:
   a light sensor region and n - type and p - type semiconductor switch regions adjacent to and operatively connected with said light sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,    
   wherein a semiconductor region of the light sensor region and active regions of the n - type and p - type semiconductor switch regions comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate,    
   wherein a Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal for the semiconductor, and    
 wherein said semiconductor film layer comprises hydrogen doped silicon.  
 
     
     
       11. The A device of according to claim  9   10 , wherein said image light sensor region comprises at least two semiconductor regions having different electrical properties and forming a junction. 
     
     
       12. The A device of according to  claim 11 , wherein said two semiconductor regions in said image light sensor region are arranged in a lateral direction on said substrate. 
     
     
       13. The A device of according to claim  9   10 , wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range from 15 to 100  300  cm 2 /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range from 10 to 100  200  cm 2 /V·sec. 
     
     
       14. The A device of according to  claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range from 15 to 100  300  cm 2 /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range from 10 to 100  200  cm 2 /V·sec. 
     
     
       15. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 7 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copy machine.  
     
     
       16. A device according to  claim 10  wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm −1   .    
     
     
       17. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 10 , wherein the electric equipment is sleected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       18. A device for reading an image comprising:
   an image sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said image sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,        wherein a semiconductor region of the image sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate, and        wherein said semiconductor layer has a semi - amorphous structure comprising a mixture of amorphous and crystalline structures, in which a Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor.      
     
     
       19. A device according to  claim 18  wherein said semiconductor layer comprises hydrogen doped silicon.  
     
     
       20. A device according to  claim 18  wherein said semiconductor switch region comprises a thin film transistor of which active region is formed of said semiconductor layer.  
     
     
       21. A device according to  claim 18  wherein said image sensor region comprises at least two semiconductor regions having different electrical properties and forming a junction.  
     
     
       22. A device according to  claim 18  wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm −1   .    
     
     
       23. A device according to  claim 18  wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range from  15  to  300  cm 2   /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range from  10  to  200  cm   2   /V·sec.    
     
     
       24. An eletric equipment having a device according to  claim 18 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       25. A device for reading an image produced by a process comprising the steps of:
   forming a blocking layer on an insulating substrate;        depositing a semiconductor layer on the blocking layer;        forming at least first, second, and third semiconductor islands by patterning the semiconductor layer;        forming first, second, and third conductive layers over the first, second, and third semiconductor islands with an insulating film interposed therebetween, respectively;        adding p - type impurities to the first semiconductor island and a first portion of the third semiconductor island by using the first and third conductive layers as masks; and        adding n - type impurities to the second semiconductor island and a second portion of the third semiconductor island by using the second and third conductive layers as masks,        wherein the third semiconductor islands has a p - type impurity semiconductor region adjacent an intrinsic semiconductor region and an n - type impurity semiconductor region adjacent the intrinsic semiconductor region in order in a direction perpendicular to that in which an image to be read is incident thereon, and        wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1   .      
     
     
       26. A device according to  claim 25  wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility greater than  15  cm 2   /V·sec and a hole mobility greater than  10  cm   2   /V·sec.    
     
     
       27. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 25 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       28. A device for reading an image comprising:
   an image sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said image sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,        wherein a semiconductor region of the image sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate, and        wherein said semiconductor layer has a semi - amorphous structure in which a Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor, and said semiconductor switch region comprises complementary p - channel and n - channel thin film transistors.      
     
     
       29. A device according to  claim 28  wherein said semiconductor layer comprises hydrogen doped silicon.  
     
     
       30. A device according to  claim 28  wherein said image sensor region comprises at least two semiconductor regions having different electrical properties and forming a junction.  
     
     
       31. A device according to  claim 30  wherein said two semiconductor regions in said image sensor region are arranged in a lateral direction on said substrate.  
     
     
       32. A device according to  claim 28  wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range from  15  to  300  cm 2   /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range from  10  to  200  cm   2   /V·sec.    
     
     
       33. A device according to  claim 28  wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm −1   .    
     
     
       34. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 28 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       35. A device comprising:
   an insulating substrate;        a blocking layer on said insulating substrate;        first, second, and third semiconductor islands on said blocking layer;        p - type impurity regions in said first semiconductor island with a first channel region interposed therebetween and in a first region of said third semiconductor island;        n - type impurity regions in said second semiconductor island with a second channel region and in a second region of said third semiconductor island;        an insulating film on said first, second, and third semiconductor islands; and        first and second gate electrodes over said first and second channel regions, respectively, with said insulating film interposed therebetween,        wherein a Raman spectrum of each of said first, second, and third semiconductor islands exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor, and        wherein said first semiconductor island has a mobility of  10  to  300  cm   2   /V·sec and said second semiconductor island has a mobility of  15  to  300  cm   2   /V·sec.      
     
     
       36. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein said blocking layer comprises silicon oxide.  
     
     
       37. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein said gate insulating film is a silicon oxide film containing fluorine.  
     
     
       38. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein said p- type impurity regions contain boron.    
     
     
       39. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein said n- type impurity regions contain phosphous.    
     
     
       40. A device according to  claim 35  wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm −1   .    
     
     
       41. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein the semiconductor device is an electic equipment selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       42. A device according to  claim 35 , wherein the first and second semiconductor islands are located in a semiconductor switch region of the semiconductor devie and the third semiconductor island is located in a light sensor region of the semiconductor device.  
     
     
       43. A device for sensing a light comprising:
   a light sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said light sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,        wherein a semiconductor region of the light sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate,        wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range of  15  to  300  cm   2   /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range of  10  to  200  cm   2   /V·sec, and        wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1   .      
     
     
       44. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 43 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       45. A device for reading an image comprising:
   an image sensor region and a semiconductor switch adjacent to and operatively connected with said image sensor region over an insulating substrate having a blocking layer,        wherein a semiconductor region of the light sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate,        wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility in a range of  15  to  300  cm   2   /V·sec and a hole mobility in a range of  10  to  200  cm   2   /V·sec, and        wherein said semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1   .      
     
     
       46. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 45 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, and image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       47. A device for sensing a light comprising:
   a light sensor region and a semiconductor switch region adjacent to and operatively connected with said light sensor region over a insulating substrate having a blocking layer,        wherein a semiconductor region of the light sensor region and an active region of the semiconductor switch region comprise the same semiconductor layer formed on the blocking layer located on the insulating substrate,        wherein said semiconductor layer has at least one of an electron mobility greater than  15  cm   2   /V·sec and a hole mobility greater than  10  cm   2   /V·sec, and        wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1   .      
     
     
       48. An electric equipment having a device according to  claim 47 , wherein the electric equipment is selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       49. A semiconductor device comprising:
   an insulating substrate;        a blocking layer on said insulating substrate;        first, second, and third semiconductor islands on said blocking layer;        p - type impurity regions in said first semiconductor island with a first channel region interposed therebetween and in a first region of said third semiconductor island;        n - type impurity regions in said second semiconductor island with a second channel region and in a second region of said third semiconductor island;        an insulating film on said first, second, and third semiconductor islands; and        first and second gate electrodes over said first and second channel regions, respectively, with said insulating film interposed therebetween,        wherein a Raman spectrum of each of said first, second, and third semiconductor islands exhibits a peak deviated from that which stands for a single crystal of the semiconductor, and        wherein the semiconductor layer has lattice distortion and the peak of a laser Raman spectrum of the semiconductor layer is shifted to a lower wave number than  520  cm   −1   .      
     
     
       50. A device according to  claim 49 , wherein said blocking layer comprises silicon oxide.  
     
     
       51. A device according to  claim 49 , wherein said p- type impurity regions contain boron.    
     
     
       52. A device according to  claim 49 , wherein said n- type impurity regions contain phosphorus.    
     
     
       53. A device according to  claim 49 , wherein the semiconductor device is an electric equipment selected from the group consisting of a facsimile machine, an image reader, and a digital copying machine.  
     
     
       54. A device according to  claim 49 , wherein the first and second conductor islands are located in a semiconductor switch region of the semiconductor device and the third semiconductor island is located in a light sensor region of the semiconductor device.