Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Industrial Technology Research Institute

Nai-Wen Cheng

Chien-Hsien Tseng

Shou-Gwo Wuu

Ru-Shang Hsiao

Dun-Nian Yaung

Chung-Te Lin

Pao-Tung Chen

Yu-Yang Shen

Yi-Shin Chu

Ming-Tsong Wang

Tung-Ting Wu

Wei-Yu Chien

Chih-Chao Yang

Wei Chuang Wu

Kun-Yu Tsai

Yin-Kai Liao

Jien-Wei Yeh

Wen-Chen Chang

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor structure including a first through substrate via (TSV) within a substrate. The first TSV comprises a first doped region extending from a top surface of the substrate to a bottom surface of the substrate. A conductive via overlies the top surface of the substrate and is electrically coupled to the first TSV.

Ion through-substrate via

Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards a semiconductor packaging device including a shield structure configured to block magnetic and/or electric fields from a first electronic component and a second electronic component. The first and second electronic components may, for example, be inductors or some other suitable electronic components. In some embodiments, a first IC chip overlies a second IC chip. The first IC chip includes a first substrate and a first interconnect structure overlying the first substrate. The second IC chip includes a second substrate and a second interconnect structure overlying the second substrate. The first and second electronic components are respectively in the first and second interconnect structures. The shield structure is directly between the first and second electronic components. Further, the shield structure substantially covers the second electronic component and/or would substantially cover the first electronic component if the semiconductor packaging device was flipped vertically.

Semiconductor packaging device comprising a shield structure

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) including a first through substrate via (TSV) within a first semiconductor substrate. The first semiconductor substrate has a front-side surface and a back-side surface respectively on opposite sides of the first semiconductor substrate. The first semiconductor substrate includes a first doped channel region extending from the front-side surface to the back-side surface. The first through substrate via (TSV) is defined at least by the first doped channel region. A first interconnect structure on the front-side surface of the first semiconductor substrate. The first interconnect structure includes a plurality of first conductive wires and a plurality of first conductive vias, and the first conductive wires and the first conductive vias define a conductive path to the first TSV.

A CMOS image sensor and a method of forming are provided. The CMOS image sensor may include a device wafer. A conductive feature may be formed on a back-side surface of the device wafer. The device wafer may include a pixel formed therein. A passivation layer may be formed over the back-side surface of the device wafer and the conductive feature. A grid film may be formed over the passivation layer. The grid film may be patterned to accommodate a color filter. The grid film pattern may align the color filter to corresponding pixel in the device wafer. A portion of the grid film formed over the conductive feature may be reduced to be substantially planar with portions of the grid film adjacent to the conductive feature. The patterning and reducing may be performed according to etching processes, chemical mechanical processes, and combinations thereof.

Image sensor with low step height between back-side metal and pixel array

A method of preparing an active pixel cell on a substrate includes exerting a first stress on the substrate by forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure in the substrate. The method further includes testing the stressed substrate using Raman spectroscopy at a plurality of locations on the stress substrate. The method further includes depositing a stress layer having a second stress on the substrate. The stress layer covers devices of the active pixel cell that are on the substrate and the devices include a photodiode next to the STI and a transistor, and the deposition of the stress layer results in the second stress being exerted on the substrate, the second stress countering the first stress.

Methods of stress engineering to reduce dark current of CMOS image sensors

A method of forming an integrated circuit structure includes providing a silicon substrate, and implanting a p-type impurity into the silicon substrate to form a p-type region. After the step of implanting, performing an anneal to form a silicon oxide region, with a portion of the p-type region converted to the silicon oxide region.

Local oxidation of silicon processes with reduced lateral oxidation

This disclosure relates to an active pixel cell including a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure. The active pixel cell further includes a photodiode neighboring the STI structure, where a first stress resulted from substrate processing prior to deposition of a pre-metal dielectric layer increases dark current and white cell counts of a photodiode of the active pixel cell. The active pixel cell further includes a transistor, where the transistor controls the operation of the active pixel cell. The active pixel cell further includes a stress layer over the photodiode, the STI structure, and the transistor, and the stress layer has a second stress that counters the first stress exerted on the substrate, and the second stress reduces the dark current and the white cell counts caused by the first stress.

Stress engineering to reduce dark current of CMOS image sensors

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for sensor element isolation in a backside illuminated image sensor. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a sensor layer having a frontside surface and a backside surface, forming a plurality of frontside trenches in the frontside surface of the sensor layer, and implanting oxygen into the sensor layer through the plurality of frontside trenches. The method further includes annealing the implanted oxygen to form a plurality of first silicon oxide blocks in the sensor layer, wherein each first silicon oxide block is disposed substantially adjacent a respective frontside trench to form an isolation feature. A semiconductor device fabricated by such a method is also disclosed.

Sensor element isolation in a backside illuminated image sensor

The active pixel cell structures and methods of preparing such structures described above enable reduction of dark current and white cell counts for active pixel cells. The process of preparing active pixel cell structures introduces stress on the substrate, which could lead to increased dark current and white cell counts of active pixel cells. By depositing a stress layer as part of a pre-metal dielectric layer with a stress that counters the stress induced, both the dark current and the white cell counts can be reduced. If the transistors of the active pixel cells are NMOS, the carrier mobility can also be increased by a tensile stress layer. Raman Spectroscopy can be used to measure the stress exerted on the substrate prior to the deposition of the stress layer.

A magnetic multi-element alloy film adapted to be used in a high-frequency operation is provided. The magnetic multi-element alloy film is employed to improve a Q factor and an inductance value of a thin film inductor operated in high frequency. The design concept of a multi-element high-entropy alloy is introduced into the magnetic multi-element alloy film. With material characteristics including high randomness, nanometer microcrystalline structure, low coercive magnetic field and high resistivity, the magnetic multi-element alloy film can still have favorable soft magnetism when operated in high frequency.

Growing community of inventors

Tainan, Taiwan

Nai-Wen Cheng