Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Avago Technologies General IP Pte, Ltd.

Ronnie Paul Varghese

James A Matthews

Tak Kui Wang

The controlled etch into a substrate or thick homogeneous film is accomplished by introducing a sacrificial film to gauge the depth to which the substrate/thick film has been etched. Optical endpointing the etch of the sacrificial film on the etch stop layer allows another element of process control over the depth of the primary trench or via.

Controlled dry etch of a film

A method for forming a diffractive lens includes forming an etch stop layer on a first surface of a silicon substrate, forming a diffractive optical element above the etch stop layer, forming a planarization layer covering the diffractive optical element, planarizing the planarization layer, forming a bonding layer on the planarization layer, bonding a transparent substrate on the bonding layer, and etching a second surface of the silicon substrate to the etch stop layer to remove a portion of the silicon substrate opposite the diffractive optical element, wherein the remaining portion of the silicon substrate forms a bonding ring.

Methods to make diffractive optical elements

A method of forming an image sensor array uses a transparent top conductive layer first as an etch mask in forming inter-pixel trenches and then as an etch stop in a planarization step, whereafter the top conductive layer is integral to operation of the completed image sensor array. During fabrication, a stack of layers is formed to collectively define a continuous photosensitive structure over an array area. The operationally dependent transparent top conductive layer is then used in the patterning of the photosensitive structure to form trenches between adjacent pixels. An insulating material is deposited within the trenches and the top conductive layer is then used as the etch stop in planarizing the insulating material. The method includes providing a connectivity layer that provides electrical continuity along the patterned top conductive layer.

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Westminster, CO, United States of America

Ronnie Paul Varghese