IP Library Granted Patent US 12666745
Granted Patent B2
US 12666745 · App. 18/536,511 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Image acquisition device

Inventors: Laurent Gay (Lumbin, FR); Magali Gregoire (Crolles, FR); Bilel Saidi (Grenoble, FR); Sylvain Joblot (Domarin, FR); Benjamin Vianne (Le Cheylas, FR)
Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
H10F39/811H10F39/011H10F39/809
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12666745
App. No.
18/536,511
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image sensor includes photodetection pixels formed inside and on top of a semiconductor substrate. An interconnection network coats a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The interconnection network includes a level of conductive vias in contact, by their lower surface, with the photodetection pixels. The conductive vias are made of doped polysilicon and have a heavier doping on their lower surface side than on their upper surface side.

Claims (40)

1 . An image sensor, comprising:

photodetection pixels formed inside and on top of a semiconductor substrate; and

an interconnection network over a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the interconnection network comprising conductive vias, wherein lower surfaces of the conductive vias are in electrical contact with the photodetection pixels;

wherein each conductive via is made of doped polysilicon; and

wherein the doped polysilicon has a heavier doping at the lower surface of the conductive via than at an upper surface of the conductive via.

2 . The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein doping of each conductive via has a decreasing doping gradient starting from the lower surface towards the upper surface.

3 . The image sensor according to claim 1 , wherein each conductive via is doped with phosphorus or arsenic atoms.

4 . An image acquisition device, comprising:

a first image sensor comprising:

first photodetection pixels formed inside and on top of a first semiconductor substrate; and

an interconnection network over a surface of the first semiconductor substrate, the interconnection network comprising conductive vias, wherein lower surfaces of the conductive vias are in electrical contact with the first photodetection pixels;

wherein each conductive via is made of doped polysilicon; and

wherein the doped polysilicon has a heavier doping at the lower surface of the conductive via than at an upper surface of the conductive via; and

a second image sensor comprising second photodetection pixels formed inside and on top of a second semiconductor substrate;

wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor are stacked.

5 . The image acquisition device of claim 4 , wherein the first photodetection pixels are configured for detection of visible light colors and the second photodetection pixels are configured for detection of infrared light.

6 . The image acquisition device of claim 4 , wherein an interconnection network of the second image sensor is in contact with the interconnection network of the first image sensor.

7 . The image acquisition device of claim 4 , wherein doping of each conductive via has a decreasing doping gradient starting from the lower surface towards the upper surface.

8 . The image acquisition device of claim 4 , wherein each conductive via is doped with phosphorus or arsenic atoms.

9 . A method of manufacturing an image sensor, comprising:

forming photodetection pixels inside and on top of a semiconductor substrate; and

forming a level of an interconnection network including conductive vias;

wherein lower surfaces of the conductive vias are in contact with the photodetection pixels;

wherein each conductive via is made of doped polysilicon; and

wherein the doped polysilicon has a heavier doping at the lower surface of the conductive via than at an upper surface of the conductive via.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein each conductive via has a decreasing doping gradient starting from the lower surface towards the upper surface.

11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein forming the level of the interconnection network including conductive vias comprises forming openings in an insulating layer, said openings extending to contact the photodetection pixels.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the forming the level of the interconnection network including conductive vias further comprises:

forming an amorphous silicon film on top of the insulating layer and inside the openings;

ex-situ doping of said amorphous silicon film by implantation of dopants; and

filling the openings with an amorphous silicon layer.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein said amorphous silicon film, after ex-situ doping, has a doping in the order of 1×10 21 at/cm 3 .

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein forming the amorphous silicon film comprises performing an in-situ doping during deposition of the amorphous silicon film.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein filling the openings with the amorphous silicon layer comprises performing an in-situ doping during deposition of the amorphous silicon layer.

16 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, after forming the openings:

filling the openings with an amorphous silicon layer; and

ex-situ doping of said amorphous silicon layer by implantation of dopants at a portion of said amorphous silicon layer located in a vicinity of the semiconductor substrate.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising in-situ doping of the amorphous silicon layer during deposition.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said amorphous silicon layer has a doping in the order of 1×10 21 at/cm 3 at a vicinity of the semiconductor substrate.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, after forming the openings, performing an amorphization of a surface of the semiconductor substrate and of a surface of polysilicon conductive gates at the bottom of the openings.