Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Stmicroelectronics (crolles 2) Sas

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Stmicroelectronics (rousset) Sas

Pascal Fonteneau

Claire Fenouillet-Beranger

Frederic Lalanne

Francois Guyader

Laurent Gay

Yohann Solaro

Yann Henrion

Hassan El Dirani

Jean-Robert Manouvrier

Sorin Ioan Cristoloveanu

Aurelien Seignard

Xavier Montagner

Raul Andres Bianchi

Aurélien Seignard

Image sensors and methods of manufacturing image sensors are provided. One such method includes forming a structure that includes a semiconductor layer extending from a front side to a back side, and a capacitive insulation wall extending through the semiconductor layer. The capacitive insulation wall includes first and second insulating walls separated by a region of a conductor or a semiconductor material. Portions of the semiconductor layer and the region of the conductor or semiconductor material are selectively etched, and the first and second insulating walls have portions protruding outwardly beyond a back side of the semiconductor layer and of the region of the conductor or semiconductor material. A dielectric passivation layer is deposited on the back side of the structure, and portions of the dielectric passivation layer are locally removed on a back side of the protruding portions of the first and second insulating walls.

Back-side illuminated image sensor

Image sensors and methods of manufacturing image sensors are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing an image sensor includes forming a structure having a front side and a back side. The structure includes a semiconductor layer extending between the front side and the back side of the structure, and a capacitive insulation wall extending through the semiconductor layer between the front side and the back side of the structure. The capacitive insulation wall includes first and second insulating walls separated by a region of a conductive or semiconductor material. The method further includes selectively etching, from the back side of the structure, portions of the semiconductor layer and the region of conductive or semiconductor material, while retaining adjacent portions of the first and second insulating walls.

An inverter includes a semiconductor substrate. A Z2-FET switch is disposed at a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and a further switch is disposed at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The further switch and the Z2-FET switch have current paths coupled between a first reference terminal and a second reference terminal.

Inverting circuit

A microelectronic component is capable of being used as a memory cell. The component includes a semiconductor layer resting on an insulating layer and including a doped source region of a first conductivity type, a doped drain region of a second conductivity type, and an intermediate region, non-doped or more lightly doped, with the second conductivity type, than the drain region, the intermediate region including first and second portions respectively extending from the drain region and from the source region. An insulated front gate electrode rests on the first portion. A first back gate electrode and a second back gate electrode are arranged under the insulating layer, respectively opposite the first portion and the second portion.

Memory cell

A protection device for protecting an IC against electrostatic discharge includes a buried insulant layer having a thickness that is no greater than fifty nanometers with bipolar transistors arranged thereon, one of which is NPN and the other of which is PNP. A base of one merges with a collector of the other. The transistors selectively conduct a discharge current between electrodes. A first semiconductor ground plane under the buried insulant layer is capable of being electrically biased and extends underneath the base of the first bipolar transistor. The ground plane and a base of one transistor have the same doping. However, its dopant density is at least tenfold greater than that of the base.

SOI integrated circuit equipped with a device for protecting against electrostatic discharges

The invention relates to an IC with an electrostatic discharge protection device. There is a buried insulant layer 50 nm or less in thickness and first and second bipolar transistors on the insulant layer, one being an npn transistor and the other a pnp transistor. The base of the first transistor is merged with the collector of the second transistor and the base of the second transistor is merged with the collector of the first transistor. The first and second bipolar transistors are configured to selectively conduct a discharge current between two electrodes of the protection device. There is a first semiconductor ground plane under the insulant layer, being electrically biased, extending until it is plumb with the base of the first bipolar transistor, exhibiting a first type of doping identical to that of the base of the first bipolar transistor with a doping density at least ten times greater.

On-SOI integrated circuit equipped with a device for protecting against electrostatic discharges

An integrated circuit includes a transistor, an UTBOX buried insulating layer disposed under it and a ground plane disposed under the layer. A well is disposed under the plane and a first trench is at the periphery of the transistor and extends through the layer into the well. There is a substrate under the well and a p-n diode on a side of the transistor. The diode comprises first and second zones of opposite doping and the first zone is configured for electrical connection to a first electrode of the transistor. The first and second zones are coplanar with the plane and a second trench for separating the first and second zones. The second trench extends through the layer into the plane to a depth less than an interface between the plane and the well. There is a third zone under the second trench forming a junction between the zones.

On-SOI integrated circuit comprising a lateral diode for protection against electrostatic discharges

An overvoltage protection component may be in a SOI layer, a portion of the SOI layer forming the core of an optical waveguide. This component may be made of semiconductor regions of different doping types and/or levels, at least one of these regions corresponding to at least a portion of the waveguide core.

Overvoltage protection components in an optoelectronic circuit on SOI

The present disclosure relates to a photodiode comprising: a P-conductivity type substrate region, an electric charge collecting region for collecting electric charges appearing when a rear face of the substrate region receives light, the collecting region comprising an N-conductivity type region formed deep in the substrate region, an N-conductivity type read region formed in the substrate region, and an isolated transfer gate, formed in the substrate region in a deep isolating trench extending opposite a lateral face of the N-conductivity type region, next to the read region, and arranged for receiving a gate voltage to transfer electric charges stored in the collecting region toward the read region.

Vertical gate transistor and pixel structure comprising such a transistor

A device includes integrated circuit chips mounted on one another. At least one component for protecting elements of a first one of the chips is formed in a second one of the chips. Preferably, the chips are of SOI type, the second chip includes an SOI layer having a first thickness sufficient to support the component for protecting elements. The first chip also includes an SOI layer but having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness that is insufficient to support the component for protecting elements. The SOI layer of the second chip may be an optical waveguide layer.

Assembly of integrated circuit chips having an overvoltage protection component

An integrated circuit includes first and second electronic components, a buried UTBOX insulating layer, first and second ground planes plumb with the first and second electronic components, first and second wells, first and second biasing electrodes making contact with the first and second wells and with the first and second ground planes, a third electrode making contact with the first well, a first trench isolation separating the first and third electrodes and extending through the buried insulating layer as far as into the first well, and a second trench isolation that isolates the first electrode from the first component, and that does not extend as far as the interface between the first ground plane and the first well.

Integrated circuit on SOI comprising a transistor protecting from electrostatic discharges

A device includes integrated circuit chips mounted on one another. At least one component for protecting elements of a second chip is formed in a first chip. The chips may be of the SOI type, with the first chip including a first SOI layer having a first thickness and the second chip including a second SOI layer having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The first chip including the component for protecting may include an optical waveguide with the component for protecting formed adjacent the optical waveguide.

Growing community of inventors

Theys, France

Pascal Fonteneau