Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11075236-B2
Application number	US-201816486936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus capable of improving the accuracy of phase difference detection while suppressing degradation of a picked-up image.
There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array unit, a plurality of pixels being two-dimensionally arranged in the pixel array unit, a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices being formed with respect to one on-chip lens in each of the plurality of pixels, a part of at least one of an inter-pixel separation unit formed between the plurality of pixels and an inter-pixel light blocking unit formed between the plurality of pixels protruding toward a center of the corresponding pixel in a projecting shape to form a projection portion. The present technology is applicable to, for example, a CMOS image sensor including a pixel for detecting the phase difference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:
a pixel array unit, including:
a plurality of pixels, wherein the pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in the pixel array unit, and;
a plurality of photoelectric conversion areas formed with respect to one on-chip lens in each pixel of the plurality of pixels, wherein for each pixel of the plurality of pixels a part of at least one of an inter-pixel separation unit formed between the plurality of pixels and an inter-pixel light blocking unit formed between the plurality of pixels protrudes toward a center of the corresponding pixel in a projecting shape to form a projection portion, and wherein for each pixel in the plurality of pixels an impurity region is disposed between the first and second photoelectric conversion areas.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of pixels is a square unit pixel, and
the projection portion is formed toward a center of the square unit pixel.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the inter-pixel separation unit is formed of a material embedded in a trench formed in a square lattice in a semiconductor layer in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are formed, and physically separates adjacent pixels, and
a part of the inter-pixel separation unit protrudes toward the center of the square unit pixel in a projecting shape to form the projection portion.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the inter-pixel light blocking unit is formed of a material formed in a square lattice in an area between the on-chip lens and a semiconductor layer in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are formed, and blocks light between adjacent pixels, and
a part of the inter-pixel light blocking unit protrudes toward the center of the square unit pixel in a projecting shape to form the projection portion.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the inter-pixel separation unit is formed of a material embedded in a trench formed in a square lattice in a semiconductor layer in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are formed, and physically separates adjacent pixels,
the inter-pixel light blocking unit is formed of a material formed in a square lattice in an area between the on-chip lens and a semiconductor layer in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are formed, and blocks light between adjacent pixels, and
a part of the inter-pixel separation unit and a part of the inter-pixel light blocking unit protrude toward the center of the square unit pixel in a projecting shape to form the projection portion.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the square unit pixel forms an R pixel, a G pixel, or a B pixel corresponding to a red (R), green (G), or blue (B) color filter located immediately below the on-chip lens, respectively, and
the projection portion is formed with respect to at least one of the R pixel, the G pixel, and the B pixel among the plurality of pixels arranged in the pixel array unit.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein
the projection portion is formed with respect to only the R pixel, the G pixel, or the B pixel.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein
the projection portion is formed with respect to all of the R pixel, the G pixel, and the B pixel.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein
the projection portion is formed with respect to a combination of two pixels out of the R pixel, the G pixel, and the B pixel.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein
a projecting length of the projection portion differs for each of the R pixel, the G pixel, and the B pixel.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
a protruding length of the projection portion is determined depending on a focused spot diameter of the on-chip lens.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11 , wherein
the protruding length of the projection portion corresponds to one seventh to one fourth a length of a side of a pitch of the on-chip lens.

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
a depth of a cross section of the projection portion with respect to an incident surface of light differs for each projecting part having a projecting shape.

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein
the trench is formed from a first surface that is a surface on a light incident side or a second surface that is a surface opposite to the light incident side.

15. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
in the square unit pixel, the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices formed in a semiconductor layer are separated by an impurity.

16. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , wherein
an output of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices is used for phase difference detection.

17. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:
a pixel array unit, and

a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in the pixel array unit, wherein first and second photoelectric conversion devices are formed in each of the plurality of pixels, the pixel array unit including pixels arranged with respect to one on-chip lens, a part of at least one of an inter-pixel separation unit and an inter-pixel light blocking unit formed between the pixels protrudes toward a center of the pixels arranged with respect to the one on-chip lens in a projecting shape to form a projection portion, wherein in each of the pixels the projection portion extends between at least portions of the first and second photoelectric conversion devices, wherein the projection portion is not formed at the center of each of the pixels, and wherein an impurity region extends through the center of each of the pixels and between the first, and second photoelectric conversion devices.

18. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 17 , wherein
the on-chip lens has an elliptical shape covering two consecutive pixels in a row direction or a column direction, and

a part of at least one of the inter-pixel separation unit and the inter-pixel light blocking unit protrudes between the two consecutive pixels to form the projection portion.

19. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 17 , wherein
the on-chip lens has a circular shape covering four pixels in two rows and two columns, and
a part of at least one of the inter-pixel separation unit and the inter-pixel light blocking unit protrudes toward a center of the four pixels to form the projection portion.

20. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a solid-state imaging device including
a pixel array unit, a plurality of pixels being two-dimensionally arranged in the pixel array unit,
a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices being formed with respect to one on-chip lens in each pixel of the plurality of pixels, a part of at least one of an inter-pixel separation unit formed between the plurality of pixels and an inter-pixel light blocking unit formed between the plurality of pixels protruding toward a center of the corresponding pixel in a projecting shape to form a projection portion, wherein in each of the pixels the projection portion extends between at least portions of the photoelectric conversion devices, wherein the projection portion is not formed a

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• SHIRAISHI Shouichirou
• Maruyama Takuya
• Yagi Shinichiro
• Shimada Shohei
• Sato Shinya

Classifications

• H04N25/70

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