Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Bumsuk Kim

Jonghoon Park

Yun Ki Lee

Taesub Jung

Jung-Saeng Kim

Yunki Lee

Dongmin Keum

Kyungho Lee

Taehan Kim

Min Hee Jang

JungChak Ahn

Changrok Moon

Hyukjin Jung

Bomi Kim

Junghyun Kim

Kwanhee Lee

Kwanghee Lee

Eunsub Shim

Junghyung Pyo

Masato Fujita

Hyungeun Yoo

Junsung Park

Jaeho Choi

Eun Sub Shim

Boseong Kim

Hyeyeon Park

Yoongi Joung

Yeaju Jang

Jeongmin Bae

Cheonho Park

Jungsaeng Kim

A method of fabricating an image sensor includes forming a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, forming a pixel isolation trench in in the semiconductor substrate to define pixel regions, forming a liner insulating layer in the pixel isolation trench, doping the liner insulating layer with dopants of a first conductivity type, forming a semiconductor layer on the liner insulating layer to fill the pixel isolation trench after the doping of the dopants, and performing a thermal treatment process on the semiconductor substrate.

Image sensor and method of fabricating the same

An image sensor includes: a substrate, having first and second surfaces opposing each other in a first direction, on which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged, the plurality of unit pixels including a normal pixel, an autofocusing pixel, and a compensation pixel in a direction, parallel to the first surface; a photodiode disposed in the substrate in each of the plurality of unit pixels; and a device isolation layer disposed between the plurality of unit pixels. The unit pixels include color filters, separated from each other by a grid, and microlenses disposed on the color filters. The compensation pixel is disposed on one side of the autofocusing pixel and includes a compensation microlens, smaller than a normal microlens included in the normal pixel, and a transparent color filter separated from adjacent color filters by a compensation grid smaller than a normal grid included in the normal pixel.

Image sensor

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in directions, parallel to an upper surface of a substrate, each of the plurality of pixels including at least one photodiode, a color filter above the at least one photodiode, and a pixel circuit below the at least one photodiode, and a logic circuit configured to obtain a pixel signal from the plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels include red pixels each having a red color filter, green pixels each having a green color filter, and blue pixels each having a blue color filter, and a size of a first red color filter included in a first red pixel, disposed in a first area separated by a first distance from a center of the pixel array, is greater than a size of a second red color filter included in a second red pixel, disposed in a second area separated from the center of the pixel array by a second distance, greater than the first distance.

Image sensor having different-sized color filters

An image sensor includes a pixel array in which a plurality of normal pixels and a plurality of autofocus (AF) pixels are disposed, and a logic circuit. The logic circuit provides an autofocus function using a phase difference between pixel signals obtained from each of the plurality of AF pixels. Each of the AF pixels includes a single AF lens disposed on a pair of pixel areas. An AF lens of the AF pixel spaced apart from a center of the pixel array may have an area larger than an area of the AF lens of the AF pixel adjacent to the center.

Image sensor with size-variable autofocus lenses

A pixel array including: a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group including: a plurality of unit pixels respectively including photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a semiconductor substrate; trench structures disposed in the semiconductor substrate and extending in a vertical direction from a first surface of the semiconductor substrate to a second surface of the semiconductor substrate to electrically and optically separate the photoelectric conversion elements from each other; and a microlens disposed above or below the semiconductor substrate, the microlens covering all of the photoelectric conversion elements in the plurality of unit pixels to focus an incident light to the photoelectric conversion elements.

Pixel array and an image sensor including the same

An image sensor includes a substrate including pixel regions and having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a first trench recessed from the first surface, a shallow device isolation pattern provided in the first trench, and a deep device isolation pattern between the pixel regions and provided in the substrate. The deep device isolation pattern includes a semiconductor pattern penetrating at least a portion of the substrate, and an isolation pattern provided between the substrate and the semiconductor pattern. The isolation pattern includes a first isolation pattern adjacent to the second surface, and a second isolation pattern adjacent to the first surface. A first interface at which the first isolation pattern contacts the second isolation pattern is spaced apart from the shallow device isolation pattern. The first isolation pattern includes a different material from that of the second isolation pattern.

An image sensor includes a first photodiode group, a second photodiode group, a first transfer transistor group, a second transfer transistor group, a floating diffusion region of a substrate in which electric charges generated in the first photodiode group are stored, and a power supply node for applying a power supply voltage to the second photodiode group. A barrier voltage is applied to at least one transfer transistor of the second transfer transistor group. The power supply voltage allows electric charges, generated in the second photodiode group, to migrate to the power supply node, and the barrier voltage forms a potential barrier between the second photodiode group and the floating diffusion region.

Image sensors are provided. The image sensors may include a plurality of unit pixels and a color filter array on the plurality of unit pixels. The color filter array may include a color filter unit including four color filters that are arranged in a two-by-two array, and the color filter unit may include two yellow color filters, a cyan color filter, and one of a red color filter or a green color filter.

Image sensors

A pixel array of an image sensor includes a plurality of pixel groups. Each pixel group includes a plurality of unit pixels adjacent to each other and respectively including photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a semiconductor substrate, a color filter shared by the plurality of unit pixels, and a plurality of microlenses disposed on the color filter and having sizes different from each other such that the plurality of microlenses respectively focus an incident light to the photoelectric conversion elements included in the plurality of unit pixels. Deviations of sensing sensitivity of unit pixels are reduced and quality of images captured by the image sensor is enhanced by adjusting sizes of microlenses.

Pixel array of image sensor and method of manufacturing the same

An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a pixel region having photoelectric conversion regions, a gate electrode disposed on the pixel region and adjacent to the first surface, a first isolation structure extending from the first surface toward the second surface, the first isolation structure comprising a first pixel isolation pattern enclosing the pixel region, and a first inner isolation pattern spaced apart from the first pixel isolation pattern and positioned between the photoelectric conversion regions, and a second isolation structure extending from the second surface toward the first surface with a top surface vertically spaced apart from at least a portion of a bottom surface of the first isolation structure. The bottom surface of the first isolation structure is closer to the second surface of the semiconductor substrate than to the first surface thereof.

The inventive concepts provide an auto-focus image sensor and a digital image processing device including the same. The auto-focus image sensor includes a substrate including at least one first pixel used for detecting a phase difference and at least one second pixel used for detecting an image, a deep device isolation portion disposed in the substrate to isolate the first pixel from the second pixel, and a light shielding pattern disposed on the substrate of at least the first pixel. The amount of light incident on the first pixel is smaller than the amount of light incident on the second pixel by the light shielding pattern.

Auto-focus image sensor and digital image processing device including the same

An image sensor is disclosed. The image sensor may include pixel groups, which are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate, and each of the pixel groups including a plurality of pixels. The image sensor may also include a light-blocking pattern, which is disposed on the substrate and between the pixels. The pixel groups may include first image pixel groups sensing a first light, second image pixel groups sensing a second light, and an auto-focus (AF) pixel group detecting a phase. The AF pixel group may include a first AF pixel and a second AF pixel adjacent to each other, and the light-blocking pattern may be absent on the substrate between the first AF pixel and the second AF pixel.

Optical sensors including a light-impeding pattern are provided. The optical sensors may include a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, a plurality of lenses on the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, and a light-impeding layer extending between the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and the plurality of lenses. The light-impeding layer may include an opening between a first one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions and a first one of the plurality of lenses. The optical sensors may be configured to be assembled with a display panel such that the plurality of lenses are disposed between the light-impeding layer and the display panel.

Growing community of inventors

Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Bumsuk Kim