Patent ID: 6853046

Claim:
A photodiode array comprising a semiconductor substrate of a first conduction type formed with an array of a plurality of pn junction type photodiodes on an incident surface side for light to be detected, the surface opposite from the incident surface in the semiconductor substrate being made of a (100) plane; the semiconductor substrate having a through hole, formed in an area held between the photodiodes, penetrating through the semiconductor substrate from the incident surface side to the opposite surface side; the photodiode array comprising a conductive layer extending from the incident surface to the opposite surface by way of a wall surface of the through hole; the through hole comprising: a vertical hole part formed substantially perpendicular to the incident surface on the incident surface side, and a pyramidal hole part formed like a quadrangular pyramid on the opposite surface side; the vertical hole part and pyramidal hole part being connected to each other within the semiconductor substrate, the pyramidal hole part having a wall surface formed as a (111) plane.