Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090230287 | STACKED IMAGE SENSOR WITH SHARED DIFFUSION REGIONS IN RESPECTIVE DROPPED PIXEL POSITIONS OF A PIXEL ARRAY - A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises a sensor wafer and an underlying circuit wafer. The sensor wafer comprises a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in respective positions of a two-dimensional array of positions in which a subset of the array positions do not include photosensitive elements but instead include diffusion regions each of which is shared by two or more of the photosensitive elements. The sensor wafer is interconnected with the circuit wafer utilizing a plurality of inter-wafer interconnects coupled to respective ones of the shared diffusion regions in respective ones of the array positions that do not include photosensitive elements. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of image capture device. | 09-17-2009 |
20100026865 | IMAGE SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE SENSING LAYERS - An image sensor includes a first sensor layer having a first array of pixels and a second sensor layer having a second array of pixels. Each pixel of the first and second arrays has a photodetector for collecting charge in response to incident light, a charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism, and a transfer gate for selectively transferring charge from the photodetector to the charge-to-voltage mechanism. The first and second sensor layers each have a thicknesses to collect light with a first and second preselected ranges of wavelengths, respectively. A circuit layer is situated below the first sensor layer and has support circuitry for the pixels of the first and second sensor layers, and interlayer connectors are between the pixels of the first and second layers and the support circuitry. | 02-04-2010 |
20100116971 | BACK-ILLUMINATED CMOS IMAGE SENSORS - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer disposed between an insulating layer and a circuit layer electrically connected to the sensor layer. An imaging area includes a plurality of photodetectors is formed in the sensor layer and a well that spans the imaging area. The well can be disposed between the backside of the sensor layer and the photodetectors, or the well can be a buried well formed adjacent to the backside of the sensor layer with a region including formed between the photodetectors and the buried well. One or more side wells can be formed laterally adjacent to each photodetector. The dopant in the well has a segregation coefficient that causes the dopant to accumulate on the sensor layer side of an interface between the sensor layer and the insulating layer. | 05-13-2010 |
20100148289 | BACK ILLUMINATED SENSOR WITH LOW CROSSTALK - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. An insulating layer is situated adjacent the backside and a circuit layer is adjacent the frontside. A plurality of photodetectors of a first type conductivity convert light incident on the backside into photo-generated charges. The photodetectors are disposed in the sensor layer adjacent the frontside. A region of a second type conductivity is formed in at least a portion of the sensor layer adjacent the frontside and is connected to a voltage terminal for biasing the second type conductivity region at a predetermined voltage. A well of the second type conductivity is formed in the sensor layer adjacent the backside. Trench isolations in the sensor layer start at the frontside and extend beyond the depletion region of the photodiodes. | 06-17-2010 |
20100148291 | ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT FILTER LAYER IN IMAGE SENSORS - An image sensor includes one or more ultraviolet (UV) light filter layers disposed between an insulating layer and a color filter array (CFA) layer. The one or more UV light filter layers reflect or absorb UV light while transmitting visible light. | 06-17-2010 |
20100327388 | Back-illuminated image sensors having both frontside and a backside photodetectors - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer of a first conductivity type having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. One or more frontside regions of a second conductivity type are formed in at least a portion of the frontside of the sensor layer. A backside region of the second conductivity type is formed in the backside of the sensor layer. A plurality of frontside photodetectors of the first conductivity type is disposed in the sensor layer. A distinct plurality of backside photodetectors of the first conductivity type separate from the plurality of frontside photodetectors are formed in the sensor layer contiguous to portions of the region of the second conductivity type. A voltage terminal is disposed on the frontside of the sensor layer. One or more connecting regions of the second conductivity type are disposed in respective portions of the sensor layer between the voltage terminal and the backside region for electrically connecting the voltage terminal to the backside region. | 12-30-2010 |
20100327389 | Back-illuminated image sensors having both frontside and backside photodetectors - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer of a first conductivity type having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. One or more frontside regions of the first conductivity type are formed in at least a portion of the frontside of the sensor layer. A backside region of the first conductivity type is formed in the backside of the sensor layer. A plurality of frontside photodetectors of a second conductivity type is disposed in the sensor layer adjacent to the frontside of the sensor layer. A distinct plurality of backside photodetectors of the second conductivity type separate from the plurality of frontside photodetectors are formed in the sensor layer contiguous to the backside region. One or more or more channel regions of the second conductivity type are disposed in respective portions of the sensor layer between the frontside photodetector and the backside photodetector in each photodetector pair. | 12-30-2010 |
20100327390 | BACK-ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR WITH ELECTRICALLY BIASED CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND BACKSIDE WELL - Back-illuminated image sensors include one or more contact implant regions disposed adjacent to a backside of a sensor layer. An electrically conductive material, including, but not limited to, a conductive lightshield, is disposed over the backside of the sensor layer. A backside well is formed in the sensor layer adjacent to the backside, and an insulating layer is disposed over the surface of the backside. Contacts formed in the insulating layer electrically connect the electrically conducting material to respective contact implant regions. At least a portion of the contact implant regions are arranged in a shape that corresponds to one or more pixel edges. | 12-30-2010 |
20100327391 | BACK-ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR WITH ELECTRICALLY BIASED FRONTSIDE AND BACKSIDE - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer of a first conductivity type having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. One or more regions of a second conductivity type are formed in at least a portion of the sensor layer adjacent to the frontside. The one or more regions are connected to a voltage terminal for biasing these regions to a predetermined voltage. A backside well of the second conductivity type is formed in the sensor layer adjacent to the backside. The backside well is electrically connected to another voltage terminal for biasing the backside well at a second predetermined voltage that is different from the first predetermined voltage. | 12-30-2010 |
20100327392 | BACK-ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSORS HAVING BOTH FRONTSIDE AND BACKSIDE PHOTODETECTORS - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer of a first conductivity type having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. An insulating layer is disposed over the backside. A circuit layer is formed adjacent to the frontside such that the sensor layer is positioned between the circuit layer and the insulating layer. One or more frontside regions of a second conductivity type are formed in at least a portion of the frontside of the sensor layer. A backside region of the second conductivity type is formed in the backside of the sensor layer. A plurality of frontside photodetectors of the first conductivity type is disposed in the sensor layer. A distinct plurality of backside photodetectors of the first conductivity type separate from the plurality of frontside photodetectors is formed in the sensor layer contiguous to portions of the backside region of the second conductivity type. | 12-30-2010 |
20100330728 | Method of aligning elements in a back-illuminated image sensor - A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer disposed between a circuit layer adjacent to a frontside of the sensor layer and a layer disposed on a backside of the sensor layer. One or more first alignment marks are formed in a layer in the circuit layer. A masking layer is aligned to the one or more first alignment marks. The masking layer includes openings that define locations for one or more second alignment marks. The one or more second alignment marks are then formed in or through the layer disposed on a backside of a sensor layer. One or more elements are formed in or on the backside of the sensor layer. The one or more elements are aligned to one or more second alignment marks. | 12-30-2010 |
20110147879 | WAFER STRUCTURE TO REDUCE DARK CURRENT - A wafer structure for an image sensor includes a substrate that has a given conductivity type, a given dopant concentration, and a given concentration of oxygen. An intermediate epitaxial layer is formed over the substrate. The intermediate epitaxial layer has the same conductivity type and the same, or substantially the same, dopant concentration as the substrate but a lower oxygen concentration than the substrate. A thickness of the intermediate epitaxial layer is greater than the diffusion length of a minority carrier in the intermediate layer. A device epitaxial layer is formed over the intermediate epitaxial layer. The device epitaxial layer has the same conductivity type but lower dopant and oxygen concentrations than the substrate. | 06-23-2011 |
20110156195 | Interwafer interconnects for stacked CMOS image sensors - An image sensor includes a sensor wafer and a circuit wafer electrically connected to the sensor wafer. The sensor wafer includes unit cells with each unit cell having at least one photodetector and a charge-to-voltage conversion region. The circuit wafer includes unit cells with each unit cell having an electrical node that is associated with each unit cell on the sensor wafer. An inter-wafer interconnect is connected between each charge-to-voltage conversion region on the sensor wafer and a respective electrical node on the circuit wafer. A location of a portion of the unit cells on the sensor wafer and a location of a corresponding portion of the unit cells on the circuit wafer are shifted a predetermined distance with respect to the locations of the remaining unit cells on the sensor and circuit wafers. | 06-30-2011 |
20110156197 | Interwafer interconnects for stacked CMOS image sensors - An image sensor includes a sensor wafer and a circuit wafer electrically connected to the sensor wafer. The sensor wafer includes unit cells with each unit cell having at least one photodetector and a charge-to-voltage conversion region. The circuit wafer includes unit cells with each unit cell having an electrical node associated with each unit cell on the sensor wafer. An inter-wafer interconnect is connected between each unit cell on the sensor wafer and a respective unit cell on the circuit wafer. The location of at least a portion of the inter-wafer interconnects is shifted or disposed at a different location with respect to the location of one or both components connected to the shifted inter-wafer interconnects. The locations of the inter-wafer interconnects can be disposed at different locations with respect to the locations of the charge-to-voltage conversion regions or with respect to the locations of the electrical nodes. | 06-30-2011 |
20110266658 | ISOLATED WIRE BOND IN INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - An electrical component includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and a interconnect layer disposed adjacent to a frontside of the semiconductor layer. At least one bond pad is disposed in the interconnect layer and formed adjacent to the frontside of the semiconductor layer. An opening formed from the backside of the semiconductor layer and through the semiconductor layer exposes at least a portion of the bond pad. A first region having a second conductivity type extends from the backside of the semiconductor layer to the frontside of the semiconductor layer and surrounds the opening. The first region can abut a perimeter of the opening or alternatively, a second region having the first conductivity type can be disposed between the first region and a perimeter of the opening. | 11-03-2011 |
20110269292 | ISOLATING WIRE BONDING IN INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - An electrical component includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and a interconnect layer disposed adjacent to a frontside of the semiconductor layer. At least one bond pad is disposed in the interconnect layer and formed adjacent to the frontside of the semiconductor layer. An opening formed from the backside of the semiconductor layer and through the semiconductor layer exposes at least a portion of the bond pad. A first region having a second conductivity type extends from the backside of the semiconductor layer to the frontside of the semiconductor layer and surrounds the opening. The first region can abut a perimeter of the opening or alternatively, a second region having the first conductivity type can be disposed between the first region and a perimeter of the opening. | 11-03-2011 |