Image sensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11552117-B2
Application number	US-201916688270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An image sensing device is provided to include a pixel array including unit pixel blocks that are arranged in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, each unit pixel block configured to generate pixel signals in response to incident light reflected from a target object. The unit pixel block includes normal first pixel configured to receive a portion of the incident light at a first arrival time and generate a first pixel signal in response to the incident light, and a second pixel configured to receive another portion of the incident light at a second arrival time and generate a second pixel signal in response to the incident light. The second arrival time is later than the first arrival time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensing device comprising:
a pixel array including unit pixel blocks that are arranged in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, each unit pixel block configured to generate pixel signals in response to incident light reflected from a target object,
wherein each unit pixel block includes:
a first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion element disposed in a semiconductor substrate and a first lens layer disposed over the first photoelectric conversion element;
a second pixel including a second photoelectric conversion element disposed in the semiconductor substrate and a second lens layer disposed over the second photoelectric conversion element; and
a light delay structure embedded in the second lens layer and not in the first lens layer,
wherein the light delay structure includes a ferromagnetic material.

2. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the light delay structure includes at least one of a high-permittivity material film or a high-permeability material film.

3. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the unit pixel block further includes:
an insulation material disposed below the semiconductor substrate; and
a metal line disposed in the insulation material and configured to transmit the pixel signals.

4. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged in the first direction.

5. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first pixel and the second pixel are arranged in the second direction.

6. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the unit pixel block further includes:
an additional first pixel and an additional second pixels that are arranged in a diagonal direction.

7. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a logic circuit configured to calculate a distance to the target object based on a first arrival time and a second arrival time,
wherein the first pixel receives a portion of the incident light at the first arrival time and generate a first pixel signal in response to the incident light, and
wherein the second pixel receives another portion of the incident light at the second arrival time and generate a second pixel signal in response to the incident light.

8. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the light delay structure includes at least one of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), hafnium silicate (HfSiO, HfSiO 4 ), zirconium silicon oxide (ZrSiO), yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), or titanium oxide (TiO 2 ).

9. An image sensing device comprising:
a pixel array including unit pixel blocks that are arranged in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, each unit pixel block configured to generate pixel signals in response to incident light reflected from a target object,
wherein each unit pixel block includes:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, the incident light being incident upon the first surface;
a light delay structure disposed in the second pixel and configured to reduce a propagation speed of the incident light passing in the light delay structure;
a first pixel supported by the semiconductor substrate and configured to receive a portion of the incident light at a first arrival time and generate a first pixel signal in response to the incident light; and
a second pixel supported by the semiconductor substrate and configured to receive another portion of the incident light at a second arrival time and generate a second pixel signal in response to the incident light, the second arrival time is later than the first arrival time, and

wherein the light delay structure includes at least one of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), hafnium silicate (HfSiO, HfSiO 4 ), zirconium silicon oxide (ZrSiO), yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), or titanium oxide (TiO 2 )), and
wherein the light delay structure includes a ferromagnetic material.

10. An image sensing device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, and configured to include a first photoelectric conversion element generating a first pixel signal in response to light incident upon the first surface and a second photoelectric conversion element generating a second pixel signal in response to light incident upon the first surface;
a lens layer disposed over the first surface; and
a light delay film disposed in the lens layer and configured to reduce a propagation speed of light passing in the light delay film,
wherein the lens layer includes a first lens layer disposed over the first photoelectric conversion element and a second lens layer disposed over the second photoelectric conversion element,
wherein the light delay film is embedded in the second lens layer and not in the first lens layer,
wherein the light delay structure includes a ferromagnetic material.

11. The image sensing device according to claim 10 , wherein the light delay film includes at least one of a high-permittivity material film or a high-permeability material film.

12. The image sensing device according to claim 11 , wherein:
the high-permittivity material film includes at least one of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), hafnium silicate (HfSiO, HfSiO 4 ), zirconium silicon oxide (ZrSiO), yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), or titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), and
the high-permeability material film includes a ferromagnetic material.

13. The image sensing device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a line layer disposed below the second surface and including an insulation film in which a metal line transmitting the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal is disposed.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jong Eun
• Kwak Ho Young
• Kim Jong Chae

Classifications

• G01S17/894

  Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar · CPC title

• G01S7/4865

  Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487) · CPC title

• G01S7/4863

  Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title

• H04N25/705

  Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ · CPC title

• H04N25/702

  SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout · CPC title