Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130249040 | Structures for Grounding Metal Shields in Backside Illumination Image Sensor Chips - A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside. A photo-sensitive device is disposed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate. A dielectric layer is disposed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is over a back surface of the semiconductor substrate. A metal shield is over the dielectric layer and overlapping the photo-sensitive device. A metal plug penetrates through the dielectric layer, wherein the metal plug electrically couples the metal shield to the semiconductor substrate. | 09-26-2013 |
20130256893 | BONDING PAD STRUCTURE WITH DENSE VIA ARRAY - A bonding pad structure includes a substrate and a first conductive island formed in a first dielectric layer and disposed over the substrate. A first via array having a plurality of vias is formed in a second dielectric layer and disposed over the first conductive island. A second conductive island is formed in a third dielectric layer and disposed over the first via array. A bonding pad is disposed over the second conductive island. The first conductive island, the first via array, and the second conductive island are electrically connected to the bonding pad. The first via array is connected to no other conductive island in the first dielectric layer except the first conductive island. No other conductive island in the third dielectric layer is connected to the first via array except the second conductive island. | 10-03-2013 |
20130320478 | System and Method for Processing a Backside Illuminated Photodiode - System and method for processing a semiconductor device surface to reduce dark current and white pixel anomalies. An embodiment comprises a method applied to a semiconductor or photodiode device surface adjacent to a photosensitive region, and opposite a side having circuit structures for the device. A doped layer may optionally be created at a depth of less than about 10 nanometers below the surface of the substrate and may be doped with a boron concentration between about 1 | 12-05-2013 |
20140070352 | Stress Release Layout and Associated Methods and Devices - An embodiment semiconductor device includes a substrate such as a silicon or silicon-containing film, a pixel array supported by the substrate, and a metal stress release feature arranged around a periphery of the pixel array. The metal stress release feature may be formed from metal strips or discrete metal elements. The metal stress release feature may be arranged in a stress release pattern that uses a single line or a plurality of lines. The metal stress release pattern may also use metal corner elements at ends of the lines. | 03-13-2014 |
20140167197 | Metal Shield Structure and Methods for BSI Image Sensors - A backside illumination image sensor structure comprises an image sensor formed adjacent to a first side of a semiconductor substrate, wherein an interconnect layer is formed over the first side of the semiconductor substrate, a backside illumination film formed over a second side of the semiconductor substrate, a metal shielding layer formed over the backside illumination film and a via embedded in the backside illumination film and coupled between the metal shielding layer and the semiconductor substrate. | 06-19-2014 |
20140167199 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIE TO DIE STRESS IMPROVEMENT - A semiconductor wafer having a plurality of chip die areas arranged on a wafer in an array, each chip die area including a seal ring area with one or more first sets of polygonal structures. The wafer further comprises scribe line areas between the chip die areas, the scribe line areas including one or more second sets of polygonal structures. The presence of proximate polygonal structures between the scribe line and seal ring areas balance stresses between the chip die areas during wafer dicing operation. | 06-19-2014 |
20140210029 | Backside Illumination Image Sensor Chips and Methods for Forming the Same - A die includes a first plurality of edges, and a semiconductor substrate in the die. The semiconductor substrate includes a first portion including a second plurality of edges misaligned with respective ones of the first plurality of edges. The semiconductor substrate further includes a second portion extending from one of the second plurality of edges to one of the first plurality of edges of the die. The second portion includes a first end connected to the one of the second plurality of edges, and a second end having an edge aligned to the one of the first plurality of edges of the die. | 07-31-2014 |
20140211057 | Black Level Control for Image Sensors - An embodiment image sensor includes a pixel region spaced apart from a black level control (BLC) region by a buffer region. In an embodiment, a light shield is disposed over the BLC region and extends into the buffer region. In an embodiment, the buffer region includes an array of dummy pixels. Such embodiments effectively reduce light cross talk at the edge of the BLC region, which permits more accurate black level calibration. Thus, the image sensor is capable of producing higher quality images. | 07-31-2014 |
20140263944 | Light Sensing Device with Outgassing Hole - A light sensing device includes a substrate, a light sensing area on the substrate, and a light shielding layer over the substrate. The light shielding layer does not cover the light sensing area. At least one outgassing hole is formed through the light shielding layer. | 09-18-2014 |
20140264685 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH STACKED GRID STRUCTURE - Among other things, one or more image sensors and techniques for guiding light towards a photodiode are provided. An image sensor comprises a metal grid configured to direct light towards a corresponding photodiode and away from other photodiodes. The image sensor also comprises a dielectric grid and a filler grid over the metal grid to direct light towards the corresponding photodiode and away from other photodiodes, where the filler grid has a different refractive index than the dielectric grid. In this way, crosstalk, otherwise resulting from detection of light by incorrect photodiodes, is mitigated. | 09-18-2014 |
20140264696 | DIELECTRIC FILM FOR IMAGE SENSOR - Among other things, one or more image sensors and techniques for forming such image sensors are provided. An image sensor comprises a photodiode array configured to detect light. The image sensor comprises a calibration region configured to detect a color level for image reproduction, such as a black calibration region configured to detect a black level for an image detected by the photodiode array. The image sensor comprises a dielectric film that is formed over the photodiode array and the calibration region. The dielectric film is configured to balance stress between the photodiode and the calibration region in order to improve accuracy of the calibration region. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268609 | SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITRY - Among other things, one or more support structures for integrated circuitry and techniques for forming such support structures are provided. A support structure comprises one or more trench structures, such as a first trench structure and a second trench structure formed around a periphery of integrated circuitry. In some embodiments, one or more trench structures are formed according to partial substrate etching, such that respective trench structures are formed into a region of a substrate. In some embodiments, one or more trench structures are formed according to discontinued substrate etching, such that respective trench structures comprise one or more trench portions separated by separation regions of the substrate. The support structure mitigates stress energy from reaching the integrated circuitry, and facilitates process-induced charge release from the integrated circuitry. | 09-18-2014 |
20150014802 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING A LIGHT GUIDING GRID - A light guide grid can include a grid structure having a plurality of intersecting grid lines, each grid line having a width w, and a plurality of openings for photosensor elements between intersecting grid lines. The grid structure has a diagonal grid width between two adjacent ones of the plurality of openings in a diagonal direction. The diagonal grid width has a value exceeding approximately √3 w. An image sensor can include a light guide grid having a grid structure as described above and further include a micro-lens such as a sinking micro-lens and a color filter. A method of fabricating a light guide grid can include forming a grid above at least one photo sensor, the grid having intersecting grid lines of width w and a diagonal grid width in a diagonal direction having a value exceeding approximately √3 w. | 01-15-2015 |
20150021728 | Dielectric Structure for Color Filter Array - An integrated circuit device in which an array of photodiodes are formed at the surface of a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure comprising multiple layers of dielectric is formed over the photodiodes. An array of color filters is formed over the photodiodes and within the dielectric structure. An interface between two layers of the dielectric structure is aligned with the bases of the color filters. The interface provides an etch stops that allows the depths of the trenches in which the color filters are formed to be well controlled. | 01-22-2015 |
20150048467 | Structure of Dielectric Grid with a Metal Pillar for Semiconductor Device - An image sensor device and a method for manufacturing the image sensor device are provided. An image sensor device includes a substrate, sensor elements disposed at a front surface of the substrate, and a dielectric grid disposed over a back surface of the substrate. The dielectric grid includes a first dielectric layer as a bottom portion, a metal pillar, as a core portion of a upper portion, disposed over the first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer wrapping around the metal pillar. The image sensor device also includes a stack of layers disposed over the back surface of the substrate. Refractive index of each layers increases from top layer to bottom layer. The image sensor device also includes a color filter and a microlens disposed over the back surface of the substrate. | 02-19-2015 |