Cmos image sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017207259-A1
Application number	US-201715405451-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The image sensor comprises a first separation zone in a substrate, the first separation zone defining first and second pixel regions arranged in a first direction, the first separation zone including first parts substantially parallel extending in the first direction, and the substrate including a first active region vertically overlapping one of the first parts and a second active region vertically overlapping another of the first parts. The image sensor further comprises first and second photoelectric conversion devices arranged in the first direction on at least one of the first and second pixel regions in the substrate, and a source follower gate on the first active region of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, comprising:
a first separation zone in a substrate, the first separation zone defining first and second pixel regions in a first direction, the first separation zone including first parts that are substantially parallel and extending in the first direction, and the substrate including a first active region vertically overlapping one of the first parts and a second active region vertically overlapping another of the first parts; first and second photoelectric conversion devices in the first direction on at least one of the first and second pixel regions in the substrate; and a source follower gate on the first active region of the substrate.

2 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a second separation zone on at least one of the first and second pixel regions in the substrate, the second separation zone being between the first and second photoelectric conversion devices.

3 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first floating diffusion region in the second active region of the substrate and adjacent to the first pixel region; and a second floating diffusion region in the second active region of the substrate and adjacent to the second pixel region, wherein the source follower gate is electrically connected to the first and second floating diffusion regions.

4 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reset gate on the first active region of the substrate and apart from the source follower gate; and an impurity region on one side of the reset gate in the first active region, wherein the impurity region, the source follower gate, and the first and second floating diffusion regions are electrically connected to one another.

5 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising first and second transfer gates on at least one of the first and second pixel regions in the substrate,
wherein the first transfer gate vertically overlaps a portion of the first photoelectric conversion device, and wherein the second transfer gate vertically overlaps a portion of the second photoelectric conversion device.

6 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first floating diffusion region in the second active region of the substrate and between the first and second transfer gates on the first pixel region; and a second floating diffusion region in the second active region of the substrate and between the first and second transfer gates on the second pixel region, wherein the first and second floating diffusion regions are spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

7 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reset gate spaced apart from the source follower gate on the first active region of the substrate; and a selection gate spaced apart from the source follower gate and the reset gate on the first active region of the substrate, wherein the source follower gate, the reset gate, and the selection gate are substantially aligned in the first direction on the substrate.

8 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second photoelectric conversion devices has a first width that is substantially parallel to the first direction and a second width that is substantially parallel to a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first width is less than the second width.

9 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate further includes a front surface on which the source follower gate is located and a backside surface opposite the front surface, and wherein the CMOS image sensor further includes,
color filters on the backside surface of the substrate, the color filters vertically overlapping the first and second photoelectric conversion devices on at least one of the first and second pixel regions; and
micro-lenses on the color filters.

10 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate further includes a front surface and a backside surface opposite the front surface, and wherein the first separation zone further includes second parts that extend in a second direction crossing the first direction and are between the first parts, the second parts of the first separation zone penetrating the backside surface of the substrate toward the front surface of the substrate, the second parts including sidewalls portions of which extend in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the front surface of the substrate.

11 . A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, comprising:
a pixel separation zone in a substrate, wherein the pixel separation zone defines pixel regions spaced apart from each other in crossing first and second directions and includes first parts substantially parallel and extending in the first direction and a second part between the first parts, the second part extending substantially parallel to the first parts; a first floating diffusion region in the substrate between a first pair of the pixel regions facing each other in the second direction, the first floating diffusion region overlapping the second part; a second floating diffusion region in the substrate between a second pair of the pixel regions facing each other in the second direction, the second floating diffusion region overlapping the second part; and a source follower gate on the substrate and overlapping one of the first parts, wherein the first and second floating diffusion regions and the source follower gate are connected to one another.

12 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 11 ,
wherein the substrate includes a first side extending substantially parallel to the first direction and a second side extending substantially parallel to the second direction, in plan view, and wherein the CMOS image sensor further includes first and second photoelectric conversion devices in the first direction on at least one of the pixel regions in the substrate, at least one of the first and second photoelectric conversion devices having a first width substantially parallel to the first side of the substrate and a second width substantially parallel to the second side of the substrate, in plan view, wherein the first side is longer than the second side, and the first width is less than the second width.

13 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 11 ,
wherein the substrate includes a first side extending substantially parallel to the first direction and a second side extending substantially parallel to the second direction, in plan view, and wherein the CMOS image sensor further includes first and second photoelectric conversion devices in the first direction on at least one of the pixel regions in the substrate, at least one of the first and second photoelectric conversion devices having a first width substantially parallel to the first side of the substrate and a second width substantially parallel to the second side of the substrate, in plan view, wherein the first side is longer than the second side, and the first width is greater than the second width.

14 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the number of the pixel regions in the first direction is greater than the number of the pixel regions in the second direction.

15 . The CMOS image sensor of claim 11 , further comprising:
first and second photoelectric conversion devices on one of the first pair of the pixel regions in the substrate; third and fourth photoelectric conversion devices on an other of the first pair of the pixel regions in the substrate; f

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yun Jung Bin
• Lee Kyungho
• Choi Sung-Ho

Classifications

• H01L27/1461

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14614

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/1463 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14627

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/14621

  Electricity · mapped topic