Patent ID: 7968429

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector device, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a semiconductor substrate; providing a multilayer structure on the semiconductor substrate, the multilayer structure including a plurality of compound semiconductor layers laminated and having first and second main faces opposing each other, the second main face facing the semiconductor substrate; forming a photodetecting region near the first main face within the multilayer structure; after the step of forming the photodetecting region, forming a depression surrounding the photodetecting region; providing a first electrode electrically connected to the photodetecting region onto the first main face of the multilayer structure; forming a light-transmitting layer optically transparent to incident light onto the first main face of the multilayer structure so as to cover the photodetecting region and first electrode; removing the semiconductor substrate after forming the light-transmitting layer; forming a second electrode electrically connected to the first electrode onto the second main face of the multilayer structure while forming a third electrode electrically connected to a part near the second main face in the multilayer structure onto the second main face after removing the semiconductor substrate; forming a third electrode such that the third electrode is electrically connected to a part positioned near the photodetecting region in the high-concentration carrier layer; and providing a wiring elelctrode for electrically connecting the first electrode to the second electrode within the depression, wherein the step of forming the photodetecting region includes the step of forming a region of a second conductive type including at least a part of the cap layer as the photodetecting region, wherein the plurality of compound semiconductor layers includes a high-concentration carrier layer of a first conductive type, a light-absorbing layer of the first conductive type, and a cap layer of the first conductive type; wherein in the step of forming the multilayer structure, the high-concentration carrier layer, light-absorbing layer, and cap layer are laminated on the semiconductor substrate laminating, wherein the electrode part of the first electrode electrically connects the first electrode to the second electrode through the wiring electrode arranged within the depression, and wherein the third electrode is electrically connected to a part positioned near the photodetecting region in the high-concentration carrier layer.