Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11688747-B2
Application number	US-202117354191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a plan view,
wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a first photoelectric conversion region and a second photoelectric conversion region,
wherein the pixels of the plurality of pixels are separated from one another by an inter-pixel separation unit in the plan view,
wherein, in the plan view, the inter-pixel separation unit has at least two protrusions extending in each pixel of the plurality of pixels, and
wherein, for each pixel and in the plan view, the at least two protrusions protrude toward a center of the pixel.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein, for at least some of the pixels, ends of the protrusions are separated from one another by at least a first distance.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of on-chip lenses, wherein one on-chip lens in the plurality of on-chip lenses is provided for each pixel in the plurality of pixels.

4. The imaging device of claim 3 , wherein for at least some of the pixels, ends of the protrusions are separated from one another by a distance that is greater than or equal to a diameter of a focused spot of light on a light incident surface of a silicon layer in which the photoelectric conversion regions are formed.

5. The imaging device of claim 3 , wherein a projecting length L 1 of the protrusions is within a range of 1/7 th to ¼ th a pitch L 2 of the on-chip lenses.

6. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein, for each pixel, the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are separated by an impurity disposed in a silicon layer in which the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are formed.

7. The imaging device of claim 6 , wherein, for each pixel, the at least two protrusions and the impurity are disposed along a same line.

8. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the pixels include pixels sensitive to red light, pixels sensitive to green light, and pixels sensitive to blue light.

9. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein an area of each of the pixels in the plan view is square, and wherein an area of each of the photoelectric conversion regions in the plan view is elliptical.

10. The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the pixels are arranged in a Bayer array.

11. An imaging device, comprising:
a plurality of on-chip lenses;
a plurality of color filters; and
a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a plan view, each pixel including first and second photoelectric conversion regions formed in a silicon layer,
wherein one on-chip lens and one color filter are provided for each pixel,
wherein the pixels are separated from one another by an inter-pixel separation unit,
wherein, for each of the pixels, first and second parts of the inter-pixel separation unit protrude towards a center of the pixel as first and second projection portions, and
wherein for each of the pixels the first and second projection portions extend along a same line.

12. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein, for at least some of the pixels, ends of the projection portions are separated from one another by at least a first distance.

13. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein for at least some of the pixels, ends of the projection portions are separated from one another by a distance that is greater than or equal to a diameter of a focused spot of light on a light incident surface of the silicon layer in which the photoelectric conversion regions are formed.

14. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein a projecting length L 1 of the projection portions is within a range of 1/7 th to ¼ th a pitch L 2 of the on-chip lenses.

15. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein, for each pixel, the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are separated by an impurity disposed in the silicon layer in which the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are formed.

16. The imaging device of claim 15 , wherein, for each pixel, the projection portions and the impurity are disposed along the same line.

17. The imaging device of claim 16 , wherein the line along which the projection portions and the impurity are disposed in any one pixel in the plurality of pixels is parallel to the line along which the projection portions and the impurity are disposed in any other pixel in the plurality of pixels.

18. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein the pixels include pixels sensitive to red light, pixels sensitive to green light, and pixels sensitive to blue light.

19. The imaging device of claim 18 , wherein the pixels are arranged in a Bayer array.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H10F39/12 Primary

  Image sensors · CPC title

• H10F39/8053

  Colour filters · CPC title

• H10F39/8037

  the integrated elements comprising a transistor · CPC title

• H10F39/807

  Pixel isolation structures · CPC title

• H10F39/182

  Colour image sensors · CPC title