Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Chia-Ying Liu

Wu-Zang Yang

Chih-Wei Hsiung

Chun-Yung Ai

Dyson Hsinchih Tai

Yin Qian

Keh-Chiang Ku

Chia-Jung Liu

Vincent Venezia

Ming Zhang

Chen-Wei Lu

Dominic Massetti

Chin-Poh Pang

Wu-Zhang Yang

Hsin-Chih Tai

Jin Li

Alireza Bonakdar

Wei Zheng

Boyang Zhang

Chi-Chih Huang

Libo Weng

An image sensor with embedded wells for accommodating light emitters includes a semiconductor substrate including an array of doped sensing regions respectively corresponding to an array of photosensitive pixels of the image sensor. The semiconductor substrate forms an array of wells. Each well is aligned with a respective doped sensing region to facilitate detection, by the photosensitive pixel that includes said respective doped sensing region, of light emitted to the photosensitive pixel by a light emitter disposed in the well. The image sensor further includes, between adjacent doped sensing regions, a light-blocking barrier to reduce propagation of light to the doped sensing-region of each photosensitive pixel from wells not aligned therewith.

Image sensors with embedded wells for accommodating light emitters

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a first deep trench isolation (DTI) structure filled with a dielectric material formed on the semiconductor substrate. The first DTI structure is disposed in the first seal ring region and is extended into the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a pixel array region and a first seal ring region. The first seal ring region is proximate to an edge of the semiconductor substrate and surrounds the pixel array region. The first DTI structure is formed in the first seal ring region and surrounds the pixel array region.

Semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers, and methods of manufacturing the same

A reflective semiconductor device includes integrated circuitry disposed in a semiconductor layer. A first plurality of mirrors is formed in a mirror layer over the semiconductor layer, and each of the first plurality of mirrors is spaced apart from one another by at least a uniform width. A thin dielectric film layer covers sidewalls of the first plurality of mirrors and the semiconductor layer in the regions between the spaced apart first plurality of mirrors. A second plurality of mirrors are formed in the mirror layer between the thin dielectric film layer covered sidewalls of the first plurality of mirrors and over the thin dielectric film layer covering the semiconductor layer. Each one of the first and second plurality of mirrors has the uniform width, and is coupled to the integrated circuitry disposed in the semiconductor layer.

Liquid crystal on silicon device mirror metal process

A backside-illuminated color image sensor with crosstalk-suppressing color filter array includes (a) a silicon layer including an array of photodiodes and (b) a color filter layer on the light-receiving surface of the silicon layer, wherein the color filter layer includes (i) an array of color filters cooperating with the array of photodiodes to form a respective array of color pixels and (ii) a light barrier grid disposed between the color filters to suppress transmission of light between adjacent ones of the color filters. The light barrier is spatially non-uniform across the color filter layer to account for variation of chief ray angle across the array of color filters.

Backside-illuminated color image sensors with crosstalk-suppressing color filter array

A method of fabricating a pixel array includes forming a transistor network along a frontside of a semiconductor substrate. A contact element is formed for every pixel in the pixel array that is electrically coupled to a transistor within the transistor network. An interconnect layer is formed upon the frontside to control the transistor network with a dielectric that covers the contact element. A cavity is formed in the interconnect layer. A conductive layer is formed along cavity walls of the cavity and a dielectric layer is formed over the conductive layer within the cavity. A photosensitive semiconductor material is deposited over the dielectric layer within the cavity. An electrode cavity is formed that extends into the contact element. The electrode cavity is at least partially filled with a conductive material to form an electrode. The electrode, the conductive layer, and the photosensitive semiconductor material form a photosensitive capacitor.

Photosensitive capacitor pixel for image sensor

An image sensor pixel includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material, and doped regions surrounding the photodiode, at least in part. The doped regions include a doped portion of the semiconductor material. Deep trench isolation structures are disposed in the doped regions, and surround the photodiode at least in part. The deep trench isolation structures include a SiGe layer disposed on side walls of the deep trench isolation structures, a high-k dielectric disposed on the SiGe layer, and a filler material.

Image sensor with semiconductor trench isolation

An image sensor includes a semiconductor layer with a plurality of photodiodes. A plurality of isolation structures is disposed in the back side of the semiconductor layer between individual photodiodes in the plurality of photodiodes. The plurality of isolation structures extend into the back side of the semiconductor layer a first depth and extend out of the back side of the semiconductor layer a first length. A plurality of light filters is disposed proximate to the back side of the semiconductor layer such that the plurality of isolation structures is disposed between individual light filters in the plurality of light filters. An antireflection coating is also disposed between the semiconductor layer and the plurality of light filters.

Self-aligned isolation structures and light filters

An image sensor pixel, and image sensor, and a method of fabricating the same is disclosed. The image pixel includes a photosensitive capacitor and a transistor network. The photosensitive capacitor includes an electrode, a conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a photosensitive semiconductor material. The conductive layer is disposed around the electrode and the dielectric layer is formed between the conductive layer and the electrode. The photosensitive semiconductor material is for generating an image signal in response to image light and is disposed between the dielectric layer and the electrode. The transistor network is coupled to readout the image signal from the electrode of the photosensitive capacitor.

An improved back side illuminated (BSI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and associated methods, improve phase detecting capability. The BSI CMOS image sensor has an array of pixels that include a phase detecting pixel (PDP), a composite grid formed of a buried color filter array and composite metal/oxide grid, and a photodiode implant corresponding to the PDP. A PDP mask is fabricated with a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure proximate the PDP and positioned to mask at least part of the photodiode implant such that the PDP mask is positioned between the composite grid and the photodiode implant.

BSI CMOS image sensor with improved phase detecting pixel

An image sensor includes a photodiode proximate to a front side of semiconductor material to accumulate image charge. A metal layer reflector structure is disposed in a dielectric layer proximate to the front side of the semiconductor material. A contact reflecting ring structure is disposed in the dielectric layer between the metal layer reflector structure and a contact etch stop layer disposed over the front side of the semiconductor material. The contact reflecting ring structure defines a portion of a light guide in the dielectric layer such that light that is directed through a back side of the semiconductor material, through the photodiode, and reflected from the metal layer reflector structure back through the photodiode is confined to remain within an interior of the contact reflecting ring structure when passing through the dielectric layer between the photodiode and the metal layer reflector structure.

Back side illuminated image sensor pixel with dielectric layer reflecting ring

A color image sensor includes a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a pixel array. A plurality of color filters is arranged in a color filter array disposed over the pixel array. Each color filter is aligned with a corresponding underlying pixel cell. An optical isolation grid is disposed over the color filter array such that incident light is directed through the optical isolation grid prior to be being directed through the color filter array to the pixel array. The optical isolation grid includes a plurality of sidewalls arranged to define a plurality of openings in the optical isolation grid. Each opening is aligned with a corresponding color filter such that each color filter is optically isolated by the optical isolation grid to receive incident light only through a corresponding aligned one of the plurality of openings.

Optical isolation grid over color filter array

Methods of forming isolation structures are disclosed. A method of forming isolation structures for an image sensor array of one aspect may include forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. Narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures may be formed from the dielectric layer. The narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures may have a width that is no more than 0.3 micrometers and a height that is at least 1.5 micrometers. A semiconductor material may be epitaxially grown around the narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures. Other methods and apparatus are also disclosed.

Etching narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures from a dielectric layer

A method of fabricating a backside-illuminated pixel. The method includes forming frontside components of the pixel on or in a front side of a substrate, the frontside components including a photosensitive region of a first polarity. The method further includes forming a pure dopant region of a second polarity on a back side of the substrate, applying a laser pulse to the backside of the substrate to melt the pure dopant region, and recrystallizing the pure dopant region to form a backside doped layer. Corresponding apparatus embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chia-Ying Liu