IP Library › Granted Patent US 12672376
Granted Patent B2
US 12672376 · App. 17/518,919 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Image sensor including a region separation pattern

Inventor: Takekazu Shinohara (Seongnam-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10F39/807H10F39/8053H10F39/8063H10F39/811
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672376
App. No.
17/518,919
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image sensor includes a substrate. A pixel separation pattern defines a plurality of unit pixels inside the substrate. A first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit are arranged inside each of the plurality of unit pixels in a first direction. A plurality of microlenses is disposed on the substrate to correspond to each of the plurality of unit pixels. A region separation pattern is disposed in the substrate between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit. The region separation pattern extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, is directly connected to the pixel separation pattern, and has a zigzag shape or a wavy shape in a plan view.

Claims (73)

1 . An image sensor comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first photoelectric conversion unit;

a second photoelectric conversion unit;

a third photoelectric conversion unit;

a fourth photoelectric conversion unit;

a first microlens on the first and second photoelectric conversion units;

a second microlens on the third and fourth photoelectric conversion units;

a pixel separation pattern surrounding the first and second photoelectric conversion units and being disposed between the second photoelectric conversion unit and the third photoelectric conversion unit, wherein the pixel separation pattern extending into the substrate; and

a region separation pattern extending into the substrate between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein the first to fourth photoelectric conversion units are sequentially arranged in a first direction in a plan view,

wherein the region separation pattern between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit is not a straight line shape and includes two portions, and each of the two portions is not parallel to the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the plan view, wherein the two portions overlap each other in the second direction, and the region separation pattern does not include a line shape extending parallel to either of the first direction or the second direction,

wherein the pixel separation pattern includes four portions and two portions out of the four portions are parallel to the second direction in the plan view,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion unit has a top surface near the first surface of the substrate and a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the region separation pattern has a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the region separation pattern is longer than a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the top surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein one of the two portions of the region separation pattern extends from one side of a central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit to another side of the central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit in the plan view,

wherein the four portions include a first-first portion being parallel to the first direction and a second portion being parallel to the second direction, and

wherein the region separation pattern has a first part directly connected to the first-first portion in the plan view.

2 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the distance from the first surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the region separation pattern is longer than a distance from the first surface of the substrate to a center point between the top surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the bottom surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit.

3 . The image sensor of claim 2 , wherein the pixel separation pattern is connected to the first surface of the substrate and the second surface of the substrate.

4 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the four portions include a second-first portion being parallel to the first direction, and

wherein the region separation pattern has a second part directly connected to the second-first portion in the plan view.

5 . The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein the region separation pattern has a zigzag shape.

6 . The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein the first part of the region separation pattern is not parallel to the second part of the region separation pattern.

7 . The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein the first part of the region separation pattern is parallel to the second part of the region separation pattern.

8 . The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein a length of the region separation pattern in a third direction from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate is shorter than a length of the substrate from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate.

9 . The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein the region separation pattern extends from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate.

10 . The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein the region separation pattern is spaced apart from the second surface of the substrate.

11 . The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein a width of the region separation pattern on the first surface of the substrate in the first direction in the plan view is different from a width of the bottom surface of the region separation pattern in the first direction in the plan view.

12 . An image sensor comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first unit pixel including a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit;

a second unit pixel including a third photoelectric conversion unit and a fourth photoelectric conversion unit;

a first microlens on the first and second photoelectric conversion units;

a second microlens on the third and fourth photoelectric conversion units;

a pixel separation pattern surrounding the first unit pixel, wherein the pixel separation pattern extending into the substrate;

a first region separation pattern extending into the substrate between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit; and

a second region separation pattern extending into the substrate between the third photoelectric conversion unit and the fourth photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein the first to fourth photoelectric conversion units are sequentially arranged in a first direction in a plan view,

wherein each of the first region separation pattern between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit and the second region separation pattern between the third photoelectric conversion unit and the fourth photoelectric conversion unit, is not a straight line shape and includes two portions, each of the two portions of each of the first and second region separation patterns is not parallel to the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the plan view, wherein the two portions overlap each other in the second direction, and the first and second region separation patterns do not include a line shape extending parallel to either of the first direction or the second direction,

wherein the pixel separation pattern includes four portions and two portions out of the four portions are parallel to the second direction in the plan view,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion unit has a top surface near the first surface of the substrate and a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the first region separation pattern has a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the first region separation pattern is longer than a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the top surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein one of the two portions of the first region separation pattern extends from one side of a central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit to another side of the central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit in the plan view,

wherein the four portions include a first-first portion being parallel to the first direction and a second portion being parallel to the second direction, and

wherein the first region separation pattern has a first part directly connected to the first-first portion in the plan view.

13 . The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the distance from the first surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the first region separation pattern is longer than a distance from the first surface of the substrate to a center point between the top surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the bottom surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit.

14 . The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein a length of the first region separation pattern in a third direction from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate is shorter than a length of the substrate from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate.

15 . The image sensor of claim 14 , wherein the first region separation pattern has a zigzag shape.

16 . The image sensor of claim 15 , wherein the first region separation pattern is spaced apart from the second surface of the substrate.

17 . An image sensor comprising:

a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first unit pixel including a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit;

a second unit pixel including a third photoelectric conversion unit and a fourth photoelectric conversion unit;

a first microlens on the first and second photoelectric conversion units;

a second microlens on the third and fourth photoelectric conversion units;

a pixel separation pattern surrounding the first unit pixel, wherein the pixel separation pattern extending into the substrate;

a first region separation pattern extending into the substrate between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit; and

a second region separation pattern extending into the substrate between the third photoelectric conversion unit and the fourth photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein the first to fourth photoelectric conversion units are sequentially arranged in a first direction in a plan view,

wherein each of the first and second region separation patterns is not a straight line shape and includes two portions, each of the two portions of each of the first and second region separation patterns is not parallel to the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the plan view, wherein the two portions overlap each other in the second direction, and the first and second region separation patterns do not include a line shape extending parallel to either of the first direction or the second direction,

wherein the pixel separation pattern includes four portions and two portions out of the four portions are parallel to the second direction in the plan view,

wherein the first photoelectric conversion unit has a top surface near the first surface of the substrate and a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the first region separation pattern has a bottom surface near the second surface of the substrate,

wherein a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the first region separation pattern is longer than a distance from the first surface of the substrate to the top surface of the first photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein the first region separation pattern has a zigzag shape,

wherein one of the two portions of the first region separation pattern extends from one side of a central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit to another side of the central portion of the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit in the plan view,

wherein the four portions include a first-first portion being parallel to the first direction and a second portion being parallel to the second direction, and

wherein the first region separation pattern has a first part directly connected to the first-first portion in the plan view.

18 . The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein a shape of the first region separation pattern and a shape of the second region separation pattern are same in the plan view.

19 . The image sensor of claim 18 , wherein the shape of the first region separation pattern is symmetrical with the shape of the second region separation pattern in the plan view.