Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Ams Trace Metals, Inc.

Other

Qin Wang

Gang Chen

Duli Mao

Dyson Hsinchih Tai

Lindsay Alexander Grant

James F Garvey

Harmesh K Saini

Michael J West

Ye Han

Paul Kenneth Rand

Robert Ormond

David Johnston

Hui Zang

Yuanwei Zheng

Cunyu Yang

Guannan Chen

Mark Angelo

Xin Ru Wang

Dajiang Yang

Bill Phan

Sing-Chung Hu

Dyson Hsin-Chih Tai

Chao Niu

Shiyu Sun

Chin Poh Pang

Woon Il Choi

Eric Webster

Dajing Yang

Marc Angelo

James Garvey

Image sensors, isolation structures, and techniques of fabrication are provided. An image sensor includes a source of electromagnetic radiation disposed on a substrate, a pixel array disposed on the substrate and thermally coupled with source of electromagnetic radiation, and an isolation structure disposed on the substrate between the source of electromagnetic radiation and the pixel array. The isolation structure can define a first reflective surface oriented on a first bias relative to a lateral axis of the pixel array and a second reflective surface oriented on a second bias relative to the lateral axis. The isolation structure can be configured to attenuate residual electromagnetic radiation reaching a proximal region of the pixel array by pairing a first reflection and a second reflection of the electromagnetic radiation by the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface.

Image sensor diagonal isolation structures

A crosstalk-suppressing image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, an opaque layer, and a spectral filter. The semiconductor substrate includes a photodiode therein and is located beneath a light-exposure region of a back surface of the semiconductor substrate. The opaque layer is on the back surface, partially covers the light-exposure region, and has an opaque-layer thickness perpendicular to an image-plane direction parallel to the back surface. The spectral filter is adjacent to the opaque layer in the image-plane direction, and partially covers the light-exposure region.

Image sensor with spectral-filter-based crosstalk suppression

Pixels, such as for image sensors and electronic devices, include a photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate, a floating diffusion, and a transfer structure selectively coupling the photodiode to the floating diffusion. The transfer structure includes a transfer gate formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a vertical channel structure including spaced apart first doped regions formed in the semiconductor substrate between the transfer gate and the photodiode. Each spaced apart first doped region is doped at a first dopant concentration with a first-type dopant. The spaced apart first doped regions are formed in a second doped region doped at a second dopant concentration with a second-type dopant of a different conductive type.

Vertical transfer structures

A flare-reducing image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, Nin number, and a plurality of microlenses, Nin number, where each of the plurality of microlenses is aligned to a respective one of the plurality of pixels, such that N=N. The flare-reducing image sensor further includes a plurality of phase-shifting layers, N, in number, where each phase-shifting layer is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of microlenses, where N, is less than or equal to N.

Flare-reducing image sensor

Embodiments disclosed herein reduce petal flare. A flare-suppressing image sensor includes a plurality of pixels including a first set of pixels and a second set of pixels. The flare-suppressing image sensor further includes plurality of microlenses, where each microlens is aligned to a respective one of the first set of pixels. The flare-suppressing image sensor further includes plurality of sub-microlens, where each microlens array is aligned to a respective one of the second set of pixels.

Flare-suppressing image sensor

A real-time, on-line method and analytical system for determining halohydrocarbons in water which operate by (1) extracting on-line samples; (2) purging volatile halohydrocarbons from the water (e.g., with air or nitrogen); (3) carrying the purge gas containing the analytes of interest over a porous surface where the analytes are adsorbed; (4) recovering the analytes from the porous surface with heat (thermal desorption) or solvent (solvent elution) to drive the analytes into an organic chemical mixture; (5) generating an optical change (e.g., color change) in dependence upon a reaction involving the analytes and a pyridine derivative; and (6) measuring optical characteristics associated with the reaction to quantify the volatile halogenated hydrocarbon concentration.

Methods and apparatus for determination of halohydrocarbons

An image sensor includes a substrate. An array of photodiodes is disposed in the substrate. A plurality of spacers is arranged in a spacer pattern. At least one spacer of the plurality of spacers has an aspect ratio of 18:1 or greater. A buffer layer is disposed between the substrate and the spacer pattern. An array of color filters is disposed in the spacer pattern.

Fully buried color filter array of image sensor

A device includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, and a channel region. The photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The photodiode is coupled to generate charge in response to incident light. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material. The transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The channel region associated with the transfer gate is in the semiconductor material proximate to the transfer gate. The transfer gate is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion region through the channel region in response to a transfer signal coupled to be received by the transfer gate. The transfer gate includes a plurality of fin structures that extend into the semiconductor material and the photodiode.

Image sensor with through silicon fin transfer gate

A device includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, and a channel region. The photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The photodiode is coupled to generate charges in response to incident light. The photodiode has a substantially uniform doping profile throughout a depth of the photodiode in the semiconductor material. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material. The transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region, wherein the transfer gate includes a plurality of fin structures. The channel region associated with the transfer gate is in the semiconductor material proximate to the transfer gate. The transfer gate is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion region through the channel region in response to a transfer signal coupled to be received by the transfer gate.

A pixel circuit includes a trench etched into a front side surface of a semiconductor substrate. The trench includes a bottom surface etched along a &#x3c;100&#x3e; crystalline plane and a tilted side surface etched along a &#x3c;111&#x3e; crystalline plane that extends between the bottom surface and the front side surface. A floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the bottom surface of the trench. A photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the tilted side surface of the trench and is separated from the floating diffusion. The photodiode is configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. A tilted transfer gate is disposed over at least a portion of the bottom surface and at least a portion of the tilted side surface of the trench. The tilted transfer gate is configured to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion.

Tilted transfer gate for advanced CMOS image sensor

A pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate and a passivation layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a pixel array surrounded by a periphery region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms, in the periphery region, a plurality of first peripheral-trenches extending into the semiconductor substrate. The passivation layer is on the back surface and lines each of the plurality of first peripheral-trenches.

Pixel-array substrate and defect prevention method

A pixel array includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of isolation layer segments, and a plurality of photodiodes. Each of the plurality of isolation layer segments extends through the semiconductor substrate in a first direction. Each of the plurality of isolation layer segments encloses a portion of the semiconductor substrate in a plane perpendicular to the first direction. The plurality of isolation layer segments form a grid that defines a plurality of isolated sections of the semiconductor substrate. The plurality of isolated sections of the semiconductor substrate include the portions of the semiconductor substrate. Each of the photodiodes is formed in a respective one of the plurality of isolated sections of the semiconductor substrate.

Pixel array with isolated pixels

A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate, a photodiode region, a floating diffusion region, and a dielectric layer. The substrate has a top surface forming a trench lined by the dielectric layer, and having a trench depth relative to a planar region of the top surface. The photodiode region is in the substrate and includes a bottom photodiode section beneath the trench and a top photodiode section adjacent to the trench, adjoining the bottom photodiode section, and extending toward the planar region to a photodiode depth less than the trench depth. The floating diffusion region is adjacent to the trench and has a junction depth less than the trench depth. A top region of the dielectric layer is between the planar region and the junction depth. A bottom region of the dielectric layer is between the photodiode depth and the trench depth, and thicker than the top region.

Pixel, associated image sensor, and method

A pixel cell includes an electrically conductive tunnel contact formed across a surface of a source follower gate, the tunnel contact having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends. The first end is coupled to a floating diffusion FD, the second end is coupled to the first doped region of a reset transistor RST. The tunnel contact is formed in physical and in electrical contact with the surface of the source follower gate for a length of the intermediate portion substantially equal to a width of the source follower gate. Methods of forming the pixel cell are also described.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Qin Wang