Pixel array of an image sensor and image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9673236-B2
Application number	US-201514661161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A pixel array of an image sensor includes a substrate, a chromatic pixel including a first photodiode formed in the substrate and a color filter formed over the first photodiode, and an achromatic pixel including a second photodiode formed in the substrate, the second photodiode having a nano pillar pattern at a surface region of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pixel array of an image sensor, the pixel array comprising:
a substrate;
a chromatic pixel comprising a first photodiode formed in the substrate and a color filter formed over the first photodiode; and
an achromatic pixel comprising a second photodiode formed in the substrate, the second photodiode having a nano pillar pattern at a surface region of the substrate,
wherein the first photodiode comprises:
a first doped region having a second conductivity type, the first doped region being formed in the substrate having a first conductivity type, the first doped region comprising a flat surface; and
a second doped region having the first conductivity type, the second doped region being formed on the flat surface of the first doped region.

2. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the nano pillar pattern comprises a plurality of cylindrical-shaped nano pillars.

3. The pixel array of claim 2 , wherein a diameter of each of the cylindrical-shaped nano pillars ranges from about 10 nm to about 100 nm, and a height of each of the cylindrical-shaped nano pillars ranges from about 100 nm to about 1000 nm.

4. The pixel array of claim 2 , wherein a pitch between two of the plurality of nano pillars ranges from about 30 nm to about 300 nm.

5. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the nano pillar pattern comprises a plurality of conical-shaped nano pillars.

6. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the nano pillar pattern comprises a plurality of nano pillars each having a polygonal cylinder shape or a polygonal cone shape.

7. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the second photodiode comprises:
a third doped region having a second conductivity type, the third doped region being formed in the substrate having a first conductivity type, the third doped region comprising a surface having a shape corresponding to the nano pillar pattern; and
a fourth doped region having the first conductivity type, the fourth doped region being formed on the surface having the shape corresponding to the nano pillar pattern.

8. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the chromatic pixel is configured to generate luminance information and color information, and the achromatic pixel is configured to generate luminance information.

9. The pixel array of claim 8 , wherein a dynamic range of the luminance information generated by the achromatic pixel is wider than a dynamic range of the luminance information generated by the chromatic pixel.

10. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array comprises at least one of a red pixel, a green pixel and a blue pixel as the chromatic pixel, and at least one white pixel as the achromatic pixel.

11. The pixel array of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array comprises at least one of a cyan pixel and a yellow pixel as the chromatic pixel, and at least one white pixel as the achromatic pixel.

12. An image sensor, comprising:
a substrate;
a pixel array comprising a chromatic pixel and an achromatic pixel, the chromatic pixel comprising a first photodiode formed in the substrate and a color filter formed over the first photodiode, the achromatic pixel comprising a second photodiode formed in the substrate, and the second photodiode having a nano pillar pattern at a surface region of the substrate; and
a control unit configured to control the pixel array,
wherein the first photodiode comprises:
a first doped region having a second conductivity type, the first doped region being formed in the substrate having a first conductivity type, the first doped region comprising a flat surface; and
a second doped region having the first conductivity type, the second doped region being formed on the flat surface of the first doped region.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the nano pillar pattern comprises a plurality of nano pillars, each of the nano pillars having a circular cylinder shape, a circular cone shape, a polygonal cylinder shape or a polygonal cone shape.

14. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein:
wherein the second photodiode comprises:
a third doped region having the second conductivity type, the third doped region being formed in the substrate, the third doped region comprising a surface having a shape corresponding to the nano pillar pattern; and
a fourth doped region having the first conductivity type, the fourth doped region being formed on the surface having the shape corresponding to the nano pillar pattern.

15. A pixel array, comprising:
a substrate;
a chromatic pixel comprising a first photodiode formed in the substrate and a color filter spaced apart from the substrate, the first photodiode having a first surface formed at a side of the substrate closest to the color filter, the first surface facing the color filter; and
an achromatic pixel comprising a second photodiode formed in the substrate, the second photodiode having a second surface formed at the side of the substrate closest to the color filter, which corresponds to a neighboring chromatic pixel,
wherein the first surface and the second surface have different shapes, and
wherein the first photodiode comprises:
a first doped region having a second conductivity type, the first doped region being formed in the substrate having a first conductivity type, the first doped region comprising a flat surface; and
a second doped region having the first conductivity type, the second doped region being formed on the flat surface of the first doped region.

16. The pixel array of claim 15 , wherein the first surface is flat and the second surface comprises alternating protrusions and indentations.

17. The pixel array of claim 16 , wherein the protrusions are cylindrically shaped.

18. The pixel array of claim 16 , wherein the protrusions are conically shaped.

19. The pixel array of claim 15 , wherein the shape of the second surface is configured to scatter light incident thereon.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jin Hyun-Jong
• Kim Tae-Chan
• Min Dong-Ki

Classifications

• H04N25/135

  based on four or more different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/133

  including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• H01L27/14621

  Electricity · mapped topic