Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Masato Fujita

Kyungho Lee

Taesub Jung

Eunsub Shim

Doosik Seol

Kyungduck Lee

Taehan Kim

Bumsuk Kim

Yunki Lee

Kyung Ho Lee

Seungjoon Lee

Hyuncheol Kim

Tae Sub Jung

Sungsoo Choi

Jungbin Yun

Sanghyuck Moon

Doo Sik Seol

Kazunori Kakehi

Seungki Baek

Minji Jung

Kyung Duck Lee

An image sensor includes: (1) a substrate having first and second surfaces opposing each other in a first direction and a plurality of unit pixels, (2) first and second photodiodes disposed in the substrate in each of the plurality of unit pixels and isolated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, (3) a first device isolation film disposed between the plurality of unit pixels, and (4) a pixel internal isolation film disposed in at least one of the plurality of unit pixels. A second device isolation film overlaps at least one of the first and second photodiodes in the first direction. A pair of third device isolation films: (a) extend from the first device isolation film into the unit pixel in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and (b) oppose each other.

Image sensor

Provided is an image sensor including a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces disposed opposite to the first surface, a pixel separation structure disposed in the semiconductor substrate and defining and surrounding a pixel region, first and second photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate on the pixel region, a first transfer gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and between the first photoelectric conversion region and a first floating diffusion region, a second transfer gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and between the second photoelectric conversion region and a second floating diffusion region, a pixel gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and overlapping one of the first and second photoelectric conversion regions, and impurity regions disposed on opposite sides of the pixel gate electrode.

Image sensor with pixel separation structure

An image sensor includes a pixel array and a logic circuit. The pixel array includes a pixel isolation layer between a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of pixels include a pixel circuit below at least one photodiode. The logic circuit acquires a pixel signal from the plurality of pixels. The pixel array includes at least one autofocusing pixel, which includes a first photodiode, a second photodiode, a pixel internal isolation layer between the first and second photodiodes, and a microlens on the first and second photodiodes. The pixel internal isolation layer includes a first pixel internal isolation layer and a second pixel internal isolation layer, separated from each other in a first direction, perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, and the first pixel internal isolation layer and the second pixel internal isolation layer include different materials.

An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a transfer gate electrode provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, readout circuit transistors spaced apart from the transfer gate electrode and provided on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a photoelectric conversion layer provided in the semiconductor substrate at a side of the transfer gate electrode and including dopants of a first conductivity type. The photoelectric conversion layer includes a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The second region overlaps with at least a portion of the readout circuit transistors in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

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.

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first side on which light is incident, and a second side opposite to the first side, a pixel isolation pattern formed inside the substrate which defines a plurality of unit pixels, a first photoelectric conversion region and a second photoelectric conversion region arranged along a first direction, inside each of the unit pixels, and a region isolation pattern which protrudes from the pixel isolation pattern in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and defines an isolation region between the first photoelectric conversion region and the second photoelectric conversion region. A first width of the isolation region in the second direction on the first side is more than about 1.1 times a second width of the isolation region in the second direction on the second side.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a first pixel region and a second pixel region located within a semiconductor substrate, a first isolation layer surrounding the first pixel region and the second pixel region, a second isolation layer located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region, and a microlens arranged on the first pixel region and the second pixel region. Each of the first pixel region and the second pixel region include a photoelectric conversion device. The second isolation layer includes at least one first open region that exposes a portion of an area located between the first pixel region and the second pixel region.

An image sensor includes a substrate having a sensing area, a floating diffusion region arranged in the sensing area, a plurality of photodiodes arranged around the floating diffusion region in the sensing area, and an inter-pixel overflow (IPO) barrier in contact with each of the plurality of photodiodes, the IPO barrier overlapping the floating diffusion region in a vertical direction at a position vertically spaced apart from the floating diffusion region within the sensing area.

Image sensor comprising an inter-pixel overflow (IPO) barrier and electronic system including the same

An image sensor according to an example embodiment include a plurality of image pixel groups, a plurality of auto focusing (AF) pixel groups, a first transmission control signal line connected to a first pixel of each of the plurality of image pixel groups, a second transmission control signal line connected to a second pixel of each of the plurality of image pixel groups, a third transmission control signal line connected to a first pixel of each of the plurality of AF pixel groups, and a fourth transmission control signal line connected to a second pixel of each of the plurality of AF pixel groups, wherein the fourth transmission control signal line is electrically separated from the first to the third transmission control signal line, and the each of the plurality of image pixel group and the plurality of AF pixel groups are disposed below a single microlens.

Image sensor including plurality of auto focusing pixel groups

An image sensor includes a substrate having first and second surfaces, pixel regions arranged in a direction parallel to the first surface, first and second photodiodes isolated from each other in each of the pixel regions, a first device isolation film between the pixel regions, a pair of second device isolation films between the first and second photodiodes and extending from the first device isolation film, a doped layer adjacent to the pair of second device isolation films and extending from the second surface to a predetermined depth and spaced apart from the first surface, the doped layer being isolated from the first device isolation film, and a barrier area between the pair of second device isolation films and having a potential greater than a potential of a portion of the substrate adjacent to the barrier area.

Image sensor and method of manufacturing the same

A pixel array included in an auto-focus image sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of pixels, a deep device isolation region and a plurality of first ground regions. The substrate includes a first surface on which a gate electrode is disposed and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The plurality of pixels are disposed in the substrate, and include a plurality of first pixels configured to detect a phase difference and a plurality of second pixels configured to detect an image. The deep device isolation region is disposed in the substrate, extends substantially vertically from the second surface of the substrate to isolate the plurality of pixels from each other. The plurality of first ground regions are disposed adjacent to the first surface in the substrate and adjacent to only at least some of the plurality of first pixels.

Pixel array included in auto-focus image sensor and auto-focus image sensor including the same

An image sensor includes a photodiode generating a charge in response to light, a transfer transistor connecting the photodiode and a floating diffusion, a reset transistor connected between the floating diffusion and a power node, a boosting capacitor connected to the floating diffusion, and adjusting a capacity of the floating diffusion in response to a boosting control signal, and a bias circuit having first and second current circuits for supplying different bias currents to an output node to which a voltage signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in the floating diffusion is output. The boosting control signal decreases from a high level to a low level after the transfer transistor is turned off, and the reset transistor is switched from a turned on state to a turned off state when the bias currents of the first and second current circuits are simultaneously provided to the output node.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Masato Fujita