Image sensor including a shield structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10930685-B2
Application number	US-201916390325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2019
Priority date	Aug 17, 2018
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is an image sensor comprising a first substrate including a plurality of pixels, a photoelectric conversion region in the first substrate at each of the pixels, a first capacitor on the first substrate, and a shield structure spaced apart from and surrounding the first capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor, comprising:
a first substrate including a plurality of pixels;
a photoelectric conversion region in the first substrate at each of the pixels;
a first capacitor on the first substrate; and
a shield structure spaced apart from the first capacitor and surrounding the first capacitor, wherein:
a bottom surface of the shield structure is located at a same height as a bottom surface of the first capacitor, and
a top surface of the shield structure is located at a height that is the same as or greater than a top surface of first capacitor.

2. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second capacitor on the first substrate and spaced apart from the first capacitor,
wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor share one top electrode.

3. The image sensor as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the shield structure surrounds the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

4. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first capacitor includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and a dielectric layer interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and
the shield structure includes a dummy bottom electrode, a dummy top electrode, and a dummy dielectric layer interposed between the dummy bottom electrode and the dummy top electrode.

5. The image sensor as claimed in claim 4 , wherein:
the first capacitor further includes a plurality of conductive pillars between the bottom electrode and the dielectric layer, the conductive pillars being spaced apart from each other, and
the shield structure further includes a plurality of dummy conductive pillars between the dummy bottom electrode and the dummy dielectric layer, the dummy conductive pillars being spaced apart from each other.

6. The image sensor as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a mold layer between the dielectric layer and the bottom electrode,
wherein the mold layer includes a plurality of pillar holes spaced apart from each other, the pillar holes exposing the bottom electrode, and
wherein the dielectric layer extends into the pillar holes and is in contact with the bottom electrode.

7. The image sensor as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the mold layer extends to be interposed between the dummy dielectric layer and the dummy bottom electrode,
the mold layer further includes a plurality of dummy pillar holes spaced apart from each other, the dummy pillar holes exposing the dummy bottom electrode, and
the dummy dielectric layer extends into the dummy pillar holes and is in contact with the dummy bottom electrode.

8. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first capacitor includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and a dielectric layer interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode,
the image sensor further comprises:
a first interlayer dielectric layer that covers the top electrode; and
a first contact plug that penetrates the first interlayer dielectric layer, and
the shield structure includes a first sub-shield structure that penetrates the first interlayer dielectric layer, the first sub-shield structure having a top surface at the same height as that of a top surface of the first contact plug.

9. The image sensor as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a first conductive pad below the first contact plug and at the same height as that of the bottom electrode,
wherein the shield structure further includes a second sub-shield structure below the first sub-shield structure and at the same height as that of the bottom electrode.

10. The image sensor as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a mold layer between the dielectric layer and the bottom electrode,
wherein the mold layer includes a plurality of pillar holes spaced apart from each other, the pillar holes exposing the bottom electrode, and
wherein the dielectric layer extends into the pillar holes and is in contact with the bottom electrode.

11. The image sensor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the mold layer extends laterally, and
the first contact plug and the shield structure penetrate the mold layer.

12. The image sensor as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first contact plug is provided in plural,
wherein the plurality of first contact plugs are spaced apart from each other and disposed to surround the shield structure.

13. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first transistor disposed on the first substrate and transferring charges generated from the photoelectric conversion region; and
a second transistor disposed on the first substrate and electrically connected to the first capacitor.

14. The image sensor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first transistor disposed on the first substrate and transferring charges generated from the photoelectric conversion region;
a second substrate that stands opposite to the first substrate; and
a second transistor disposed on the second substrate and electrically connected to the first capacitor.

15. An image sensor, comprising:
a substrate including a plurality of pixels;
a photoelectric conversion region in the substrate at each of the pixels;
at least one capacitor on the substrate;
a conductive pattern adjacent to the at least one capacitor; and
a shield structure between the at least one capacitor and the conductive pattern, wherein:
a bottom surface of the shield structure is located at a same height as a bottom surface of the at least one capacitor, and
a top surface of the shield structure is located at a height that is the same as or greater than a top surface of the at least one capacitor.

16. The image sensor as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the shield structure surrounds the at least one capacitor.

17. An image sensor, comprising:
a first substrate including a plurality of pixels;
a photoelectric conversion region in the first substrate at each of the pixels;
a first capacitor and a second capacitor on the first substrate; and
a shield structure spaced apart from and surrounding the first capacitor and the second capacitor, wherein the shield structure includes a dummy bottom electrode, a dummy top electrode, and a dummy dielectric layer between the dummy bottom electrode and the dummy top electrode.

18. The image sensor as claimed in claim 17 , wherein:
each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor includes a bottom electrode and a dielectric layer, and
the first capacitor and the second capacitor share one top electrode.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Doowon
• Baek Ingyu

Classifications

• H10W20/423

  Shielding layers · CPC title

• H10W20/496

  Capacitor integral with wiring layers · CPC title

• H10W72/963

  Providing mechanical bonding or support, e.g. dummy bond pads · CPC title

• H10W72/967

  Multiple bond pads having different functions · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title