Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chung-Chuan Tseng

Chia-Ping Lai

Chia-Wei Liu

Li-Hsin Chu

Chiao-Chi Wang

Yu-Hsiang Tsai

Yeh-Hsun Fang

Chen-Hsiang Hung

Li Hsin Chu

Chien-Ying Wu

Ren-Wei Xiao

Wen-Feng Kuo

Yu-Wei Chen

Wei-Hsiang Huang

Zhi-Wei Zhuang

Cindy Kuo

Zong-Jie Wu

Dun-Nian Yaung

Jen-Cheng Liu

Szu-Ying Chen

Jeng-Shyan Lin

Fang-Ting Kuo

Tsung-Han Kuo

Szu-Chien Tseng

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor structure and a second semiconductor structure. The first semiconductor structure includes silicon. The second semiconductor structure is embedded in the first semiconductor structure, in which the second semiconductor structure has at least one convex portion and at least one concave portion. The convex portion and the concave portion are on at least one edge of the second semiconductor structure, and a shape of the concave portion includes rectangle, trapezoid, inverted trapezoid, or parallelogram. The second semiconductor structure includes germanium, elements of group III or group V, or combinations thereof. The convex portion of the second semiconductor structure has a top surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the first semiconductor structure.

Semiconductor device

Capacitors for use in semiconductor devices including a plurality of first trenches in a first region of a substrate, the first trenches extending in a first direction, a plurality of second trenches in the first region of the substrate, the second trenches extending in a second direction other than the first direction, with the adjacent second trenches and first trenches cooperating to define protruding structures and island structures having an upper surface that is at or below a plane defined by a portion of an upper surface of a substrate surrounding the first region with a series of film pairs including a dielectric layer and a conductive layer formed in the first and second trenches and the protruding and island structures.

Integrated circuit including trench capacitor

A semiconductor device includes: a photodiode formed in a substrate; and at least one transistor having a gate feature that comprises a first portion and a second portion coupled to an end of the first portion, the first portion disposed above and extending along a major surface of the substrate and the second portion extending from the major surface of the substrate into the substrate, wherein the photodiode and the at least one transistor at least partially form a pixel.

Image sensor device

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards methods for forming an image sensor in which a device layer overlies and has a different semiconductor material than a substrate and in which the device layer has high crystalline quality. Some embodiments of the methods include: epitaxially growing the device layer on the substrate; patterning the device layer to form a trench dividing the device layer into mesa structures corresponding to pixels; forming an inter-pixel dielectric layer filling the trench and separating the mesa structures; and forming photodetectors in the mesa structures. Other embodiments of the methods include: depositing the inter-pixel dielectric layer over the substrate; patterning the inter-pixel dielectric layer to form cavities corresponding to the pixels; epitaxially growing the mesa structures in the cavities; and forming the photodetectors in the mesa structures.

Methods for forming image sensors

A method includes forming a plurality of openings extending into a substrate from a front surface of the substrate. The substrate includes a first semiconductor material. Each of the plurality of openings has a curve-based bottom surface. The method includes filling the plurality of openings with a second semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material is different from the first semiconductor material. The method includes forming a plurality of pixels that are configured to sense light in the plurality of openings, respectively, using the second semiconductor material.

Image sensor device and methods of forming the same

A method of making a semiconductor device, includes: providing a first dielectric layer; sequentially forming a first metal layer, a dummy capacitor dielectric layer, and a second metal layer over the first dielectric layer; and using a single mask layer with two patterns to simultaneously recess two portions of the second metal layer so as to define a metal thin film of a resistor and a top metal plate of a capacitor.

Device including MIM capacitor and resistor

A semiconductor device with dummy and active pixel structures and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first pixel region with a first pixel structure, a second pixel region, surrounding the first pixel region, includes a second pixel structure adjacent to the first pixel structure and electrically isolated from the first pixel structure, and a contact pad region with a pad structure disposed adjacent to the second pixel region. The first pixel structure includes a first epitaxial structure disposed within a substrate and a first capping layer disposed on the first epitaxial structure. The second pixel structure includes a second epitaxial structure disposed within the substrate and a second capping layer disposed on the second epitaxial structure. Top surfaces of the first and second epitaxial structures are substantially coplanar with each other. The first and second epitaxial structures includes a same semiconductor material.

Image sensors with dummy pixel structures

A method of manufacturing a capacitor including the operations of etching a plurality of primary trenches into a first region of a substrate, the primary trenches extending in a first direction, etching a plurality of secondary trenches into the first region of the substrate, the secondary trenches extending in a second direction other than the first direction, with the adjacent secondary trenches and adjacent primary trenches jointly defining an island structure having an upper surface that is recessed relative to an upper surface a surrounding substrate, and depositing a series of film pairs including a dielectric layer and a conductive layer.

A method of forming an image sensor includes forming a photodiode within a semiconductor substrate. The method further includes disposing an interconnect structure over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a contact etch stop layer (CESL) over the photodiode; and a plurality of dielectric layers over the CESL, wherein at least one dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers comprises a low dielectric constant (low-k) material. The method further includes patterning at least the plurality of dielectric layers, wherein patterning at least the plurality of dielectric layers comprises defining an opening above an active region of the photodiode. The method further includes depositing a cap layer on sidewalls of the opening, wherein the cap layer includes a dielectric material having a higher moisture resistance than the low-k dielectric material.

Method of making an image sensor with sidewall protection

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor structure and a second semiconductor structure. The first semiconductor structure includes silicon. The second semiconductor structure is embedded in the first semiconductor structure, in which the second semiconductor structure has at least one convex portion and at least one concave portion. The convex portion and the concave portion are on at least one edge of the second semiconductor structure, and a shape of the concave portion includes rectangle, trapezoid, inverted trapezoid, or parallelogram. The second semiconductor structure includes germanium, elements of group III or group V, or combinations thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chung-Chuan Tseng