Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation

Industrial Technology Research Institute

Gwo-Yuh Shiau

Chia-Shiung Tsai

Shih-Chi Fu

Yuan-Chih Hsieh

Feng-Jia Shiu

Ming-Chyi Liu

Ching-Sen Kuo

Jieh-Jang Chen

Ming Chyi Liu

Tzu-Hsuan Hsu

Chi-Hsin Lo

Chia-Tung Ho

Feng-Jia Shih

Liang-Lung Yao

Shih-Chang Liu

Kong-Beng Thei

Chien-Chih Chou

Yuan-Hung Liu

Chih-Ta Wu

Pin-Ting Wang

Hua-Tai Lin

Li-Ming Wang

Chia-Shiung Tsia

Yeur-Luen Tu

Chung-Yi Yu

Jing-Pin Pan

Hua-Shu Ivan Wu

Kai-Chih Liang

Martin Liu

Tsung-Mu Lai

Daniel Hao-Tien Lee

Ker-Ming Chen

Huei-Ru Liu

Fa-Yuan Chang

Hsiang-Wei Tseng

Ching-Chung Pai

Huei-Ru Liou

Nick Y M Shen

Shih-Chu Fu

Yao Fei Chuang

Chien Hsien Tseng

Chuen-Chyr Chen

Shinn-Jhy Lian

Jiunn-Yih Chyan

Chin-Hsiang Ho

Chu-Wei Cheng

Dummy structures between a high voltage (HV) region and a low voltage (LV) region of a substrate are disclosed, along with methods of forming the dummy structures. An embodiment is a structure comprising a HV gate dielectric over a HV region of a substrate, a LV gate dielectric over a LV region of the substrate, and a dummy structure over a top surface of the HV gate dielectric. A thickness of the LV gate dielectric is less than a thickness of the HV gate dielectric. The dummy structure is on a sidewall of the HV gate dielectric.

Dummy structure for multiple gate dielectric interface and methods

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface, elements formed on the substrate, interconnect metal layers formed over the front surface of the substrate, including a topmost interconnect metal layer, an inter-metal dielectric for insulating each of the plurality of interconnect metal layers, and a bonding pad disposed within the inter-metal dielectric, the bonding pad in contact with one of the interconnect metal layers other than the topmost interconnect metal layer.

Embedded bonding pad for image sensors

The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating a semiconductor device including providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein at least one imaging sensor is located adjacent the first surface, activating a dopant layer in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the second surface using a localized annealing process, and etching the dopant layer.

Silicon substrate with reduced surface roughness

A method for fabricating a backside illuminated image sensor is provided. An exemplary method can include providing a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; forming an alignment mark at the front surface of the substrate, wherein the alignment mark is detectable for alignment from the back surface; and processing the substrate from the back surface by performing registration from the back surface and using the alignment mark as a reference.

Method of fabricating backside illuminated image sensor

An image sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a light-sensing region, and a first and second electrode embedded within the substrate. The first and second electrode forms an array of slits, the array of slits is configured to allow a wavelength of light to pass through to the light-sensing region. A method for making an image sensor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, and forming a plurality of slits embedded within each of the plurality of pixels. The plurality of slits is configured to allow a wavelength of light to pass through to each of the plurality of pixels.

Color filter-embedded MSM image sensor

Provided is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside, where active or passive devices are formed in the front side, rotating the semiconductor substrate, and etching the backside of the semiconductor substrate by introducing a first etchant while the substrate is rotated, the first etchant including an R&#x2014;COOH.

Method and apparatus for thinning a substrate

A method for fabricating a backside illuminated image sensor is provided. An exemplary method can include providing a substrate with a front surface and a back surface; forming a first alignment mark for global alignment on the front surface of the substrate; forming a second alignment mark for fine alignment in a clear-out region on the front surface of the substrate; aligning the substrate from the back surface using the first alignment mark; and removing a portion of the back surface of the substrate at the clear-out region for locating the second alignment mark.

Image sensor devices and methods for fabricating the same are provided. An exemplary embodiment of an image sensor device comprises a support substrate. A passivation structure is formed over the support substrate. An interconnect structure is formed over the passivation structure. A first semiconductor layer is formed over the interconnect structure, having a first and second surfaces, wherein the first and second surfaces are opposing surfaces. At least one light-sensing device is formed over/in the first semiconductor layer from a first surface thereof. A color filter layer is formed over the first semiconductor layer from a second surface thereof. At least one micro lens is formed over the color filter layer.

Methods for fabricating image sensor devices

A method for forming a semiconductor device with a bonding pad is disclosed. A first substrate having a device area and a bonding area is provided, wherein the first substrate has an upper surface and a bottom surface. Semiconductor elements are formed on the upper surface of the first substrate in the device area. A first inter-metal dielectric layer is formed on the upper surface of the substrate in the bonding area. A lowermost metal pattern is formed in the first inter-metal dielectric layer, wherein the lowermost metal pattern serves as the bonding pad. An opening through the first substrate is formed to expose the lowermost metal pattern.

Semiconductor device with bonding pad

A method of forming a planarized photoresist coating on a substrate having holes with different duty ratios is described. A first photoresist preferably comprised of a Novolac resin and a diazonaphthoquinone photoactive compound is coated on a substrate and baked at or slightly above its Tg so that it reflows and fills the holes. The photoresist is exposed without a mask at a dose that allows the developer to thin the photoresist to a recessed depth within the holes. After the photoresist is hardened with a 250&#xb0; C. bake, a second photoresist is coated on the substrate to form a planarized film with a thickness variation of less than 50 Angstroms between low and high duty ratio hole regions. One application is where the second photoresist is used to form a trench pattern in a via first dual damascene method. Secondly, the method is useful in fabricating MIM capacitors.

Method of forming planarized coatings on contact hole patterns of various duty ratios

The present disclosure provide a method of manufacturing a microelectronic device. The method includes forming a top metal layer on a first substrate, in which the top metal layer has a plurality of interconnect features and a first dummy feature; forming a first dielectric layer over the top metal layer; etching the first dielectric layer in a target region substantially vertically aligned to the plurality of interconnect features and the first dummy feature of the top metal layer; performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process over the first dielectric layer; and thereafter bonding the first substrate to a second substrate.

Process for wafer bonding

The present disclosure provide a microelectronic device. The microelectronic device includes a sensing element formed in the semiconductor substrate; a trench isolation feature formed in the semiconductor substrate; a bonding pad formed at least partially in the trench isolation feature; and interconnect features formed over the sensing element and the trench isolation feature, being coupled to the sensing element and the bonding pad, and isolated from each other by interlayer dielectric.

Embedded bonding pad for backside illuminated image sensor

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Gwo-Yuh Shiau