IP Library Granted Patent US 8,951,823
Granted Patent B2
US 8,951,823 · App. 13/480,959 · Granted Feb 10, 2015

Method for manufacturing solid-state imaging element, solid-state imaging element, method for manufacturing electronic apparatus, and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,951,823
App. No.
13/480,959
Granted
Feb 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element, the method including forming lenses that are each provided corresponding to a light receiving part of a respective one of a plurality of pixels arranged in an imaging area over a semiconductor substrate and collect light onto the light receiving parts; forming a light blocking layer by performing film deposition on the lenses by using a material having light blocking capability; and forming a light blocker composed of the material having light blocking capability at a boundary part between the lenses adjacent to each other by etching the light blocking layer in such a manner that the material having light blocking capability is left at the boundary part between the lenses.

Claims (37)

1. A method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element, the method comprising:

forming first lenses that are each provided corresponding to a light receiving part of a respective one of a plurality of pixels arranged in an imaging area over a semiconductor substrate and collect light onto the light receiving parts;

forming a light blocking layer by performing film deposition on the first lenses by using a material having light blocking capability;

forming a first light blocker composed of the material having light blocking capability at a boundary part between the first lenses adjacent to each other by etching the light blocking layer in such a manner that the material having light blocking capability is left at the boundary part between the first lenses;

forming second lenses that are provided over each first lens and that are convex, the second lenses being adjacent to each other with no gap therebetween; and

forming a second light blocker formed on a concave boundary between each of the second lenses.

2. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein

the material having light blocking capability is a metal.

3. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein

the forming the light blocking layer includes forming an adhesion layer to allow adhesion of the material having light blocking capability to a material to form the first lenses.

4. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising

forming an etching stopper film on the first lenses by using a material having etching selectivity with respect to the material having light blocking capability, between the forming the first lenses and the forming the light blocking layer.

5. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 4 , wherein

a material having a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of a material to form the first lenses and is higher than a refractive index of a material of a layer formed over the lenses with intermediary of the etching stopper film is used as the material having etching selectivity.

6. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 4 , wherein

film deposition of the light blocking layer and the etching stopper film is performed under a temperature condition in which temperature of the first lenses is at most 200° C., in the forming the light blocking layer and the forming the etching stopper film.

7. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising

applying a planarization resist film over the light blocking layer, between the forming the light blocking layer and the forming the light blocker, wherein

the material having light blocking capability is conformally deposited in the forming the light blocking layer, and

the planarization resist film is etched together with the light blocking layer in the forming the light blocker.

8. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , further comprising

forming a hard mask at the boundary part between the lenses on the light blocking layer, between the forming the light blocking layer and the forming the light blocker.

9. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 8 , wherein

the material having light blocking capability is conformally deposited in the forming the light blocking layer.

10. The method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging element according to claim 1 , wherein

the first lenses are gapless lenses having no gap between the first lenses adjacent to each other.

11. A method for manufacturing electronic apparatus having

a solid-state imaging element,

an optical system that guides incident light to light receiving parts of the solid-state imaging element,

a drive circuit that generates a drive signal for driving the solid-state imaging element, and

a signal processing circuit that processes an output signal of the solid-state imaging element,

the method comprising, as manufacturing the solid-state imaging element,

forming first lenses that are each provided corresponding to the light receiving part of a respective one of a plurality of pixels arranged in an imaging area over a semiconductor substrate and collect light onto the light receiving parts;

forming a light blocking layer by performing film deposition on the first lenses by using a material having light blocking capability;

forming a first light blocker composed of the material having light blocking capability at a boundary part between the first lenses adjacent to each other by etching the light blocking layer in such a manner that the material having light blocking capability is left at the boundary part between the first lenses;

forming second lenses that are provided over each first lens and are convex, the second lenses being formed adjacent to each other with no gap therebetween; and

forming a second light blocker on a concave boundary between second lenses.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2016
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040419/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2012
From: MASUDA, YOSHIAKI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028271/0763 →