Image sensor, method for manufacturing the same, and image processing device having the image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9287327-B2
Application number	US-201414310305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

An image sensor comprising: a first layer having a plurality of groups of photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, each group representing a 2×2 array of photodiodes, with 2 first pixels configured to detect light of a first wavelength and 2 second pixels configured to detect light of a second wavelength, each first pixel positioned adjacent to the second pixels; and a second layer overlapping the first layer, the second layer is organic, having a plurality of organic photodiodes configured to detect light of a third wavelength, each organic photodiode positioned to partially overlap 2 first photodiodes and 2 second photodiodes of the first layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor, comprising:
a first layer having a plurality of groups of photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, each group representing a 2×2 array of photodiodes, with a first group of two photodiodes configured to detect light of a first wavelength and a second group of two photodiodes configured to detect light of a second wavelength, each photodiode of the first group of two photodiodes is positioned adjacent to each photodiode of the second group of two photodiodes; and
a second layer overlapping the first layer, the second layer is organic, having a plurality of organic photodiodes configured to detect light of a third wavelength, each organic photodiode is positioned to partially overlap the first group of two photodiodes and the second group of two photodiodes of the first layer.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the area of overlap of each of the partially overlapped first group of two photodiodes and second group of two photodiodes is substantially the same.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , further including a circuit part configured to read the detected light from the first group of two photodiodes and the second group of two photodiodes of the first layer, the circuit part positioned relative to the semiconductor substrate for front side illumination.

4. The image sensor of claim 3 , wherein the circuit part is positioned between the first layer and the second layer.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , further including a color filter positioned between the first layer and the second layer.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , further including a circuit part configured to read the detected light of the first layer, the circuit part positioned relative to the semiconductor substrate for back side illumination.

7. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is positioned between the circuit part and the second layer.

8. The image sensor of claim 1 , further including a floating diffusion region formed adjacent to each photodiode on the semiconductor substrate, each floating diffusion region is shared by an organic photodiode.

9. The image sensor of claim 1 , further including a first readout circuit configured to read the light detected by each photodiode on the semiconductor substrate and a second readout circuit configured to read the light detected by each organic photodiode.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the light of the third wavelength is green.

11. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the number of photodiodes in the semiconductor substrate is the same as the number of organic photodiodes in the second layer.

12. An image sensor, comprising:
a first layer having a plurality of first photodiodes and a plurality of second photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, the first photodiodes configured to detect light of a first wavelength and the second photodiodes configured to detect light of a second wavelength, wherein the first photodiodes and the second photodiodes are alternately positioned with each of the first photodiodes positioned adjacent to a second photodiode and vice versa;
a second layer overlapping the first layer, the second layer is organic, having a plurality of organic photodiodes configured to detect light of a third wavelength, wherein the organic photodiodes are skewed with respect to alignment with the first photodiodes and the second photodiodes when viewed perpendicularly to the semiconductor substrate; and
a plurality of storage regions formed in the semiconductor substrate, each of the storage regions corresponding to an organic photodiode configured to store electrical charges transmitted through a corresponding metallic contact.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the skew in alignment between the organic photodiodes and the first and second photodiodes is about 50% in their width and length.

14. The image sensor of claim 12 , further including a circuit part configured to read the detected light of the first layer, the circuit part positioned relative to the semiconductor substrate for back side illumination.

15. The image sensor of claim 14 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is positioned between the circuit part and the second layer.

16. The image sensor of claim 12 , further including a floating diffusion region formed adjacent to each photodiode in the semiconductor substrate, each floating diffusion region is shared by an organic photo diode.

17. The image sensor of claim 12 , further including a first readout circuit configured to read the light detected by each photodiode in the semiconductor substrate and a second readout circuit configured to read the light detected by each organic photodiode.

18. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the light of the third wavelength is green.

19. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the number of photodiodes in the semiconductor substrate is the same as the number of organic photodiodes in the second layer.

20. A portable electronic device, comprising:
an image sensor configured to generate image data;
a processor configured to process the image data; and
a camera serial interface configured to transmit the image data from the image sensor to the processor,
wherein the image sensor comprising:
a first layer having a plurality of first photodiodes and a plurality of second photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, the first photodiodes configured to detect light of a first wavelength and the second photodiodes configured to detect light of a second wavelength, wherein the first photodiodes and the second photodiodes are alternately positioned with each of the first photodiodes positioned adjacent to a second photodiode and vice versa; and
a second layer overlapping the first layer, the second layer is organic, having a plurality of organic photodiodes configured to detect light of a third wavelength, wherein the organic photodiodes are skewed with respect to alignment with the first photodiodes and the second photodiodes when viewed perpendicularly to the semiconductor substrate.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Myung Won
• Sul Sang Chul
• Goto Hirosige
• Kim Sae Young
• Lee Gwi Deok Ryan
• Ishii Masaru
• Choo Kyo Jin

Classifications

• H04N25/13

  characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/70 Primary

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N25/76 Primary

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/78

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title