Image sensor

1. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate comprising a plurality of pixel regions and one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions;

a first pixel separation structure disposed between two adjacent pixel regions among the plurality of pixel regions and comprising a first conductive layer;

a dummy pixel separation structure disposed between the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions, electrically connected to the first pixel separation structure, and comprising a second conductive layer; and

a pixel separation contact disposed on the dummy pixel separation structure,

wherein the dummy pixel separation structure has a third width W3 along a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, and the pixel separation contact has a fourth wide W4 along the first direction,

wherein a fourth length of the fourth width W4 is equal to or greater than a third length of the third width W3 (W3≤W4).

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the pixel separation contact is electrically connected to the dummy pixel separation structure and at least two dummy pixel regions among the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixel regions are arranged in a matrix form, and

wherein the first pixel separation structure surrounds each of the plurality of pixel regions.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions are arranged on one side of the plurality of pixel regions.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions are arranged at a periphery of the plurality of pixel regions to surround the plurality of pixel regions.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixel regions are arranged in one partial matrix form, and

wherein the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions are arranged in another partial matrix form about the plurality of pixel regions so that the plurality of pixel regions and the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions are in a complete matrix form.

7. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pixel regions has a first width W1 along the first direction, and each of the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions has a second width W2 along the first direction, wherein a first length of the first width W1 is equal to or less than a second length of the second width W2.

8. The image sensor of claim 7 ,

wherein the fourth length of the fourth width W4 is equal to or less than a sum of the third length of the third width W3 and twice the second length of the second width W2 (W4≤W3+2W2).

9. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:

a photoelectric conversion unit formed in the substrate in each of the plurality of pixel regions; and

a gate structure disposed on the photoelectric conversion unit,

wherein a negative voltage is applied to the first conductive layer.

10. The image sensor of claim 9 , wherein the first pixel separation structure further comprises a first insulating layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the plurality of pixel regions,

wherein the dummy pixel separation structure further comprises a second insulating layer interposed between the second conductive layer and the one or more pairs of dummy pixel regions, and

wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first material and the second conductive layer comprises a second material that is the same as the first material.

11. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate comprising a plurality of pixel regions and a plurality of dummy pixel regions;

a first pixel separation structure disposed between two adjacent pixel regions among the plurality of pixel regions and comprising a first conductive layer;

a dummy pixel separation structure disposed between each of the plurality of dummy pixel regions, electrically connected to the first pixel separation structure, and comprising a second conductive layer; and

a pixel separation contact disposed on adjacent two dummy pixel regions among the plurality of dummy pixel regions, the pixel separation contact being disposed on the dummy pixel separation structure interposed between the two dummy pixel regions,

wherein the dummy pixel separation structure has a third width W3 along a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate, and the pixel separation contact has a fourth width W4 along the first direction,

wherein a fourth length of the fourth width W4 is equal to or greater than a third length of the third width W3 (W3≤W4).

12. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the first pixel separation structure is electrically connected to the pixel separation contact through the dummy pixel separation structure, and a negative voltage is operably applied to the first pixel separation structure.

13. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of pixel regions are arranged in a matrix form, the first pixel separation structure is arranged to surround each of the plurality of pixel regions, and the plurality of dummy pixel regions are arranged to surround the plurality of pixel regions at a periphery of the plurality of pixel regions.

14. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein a pixel separation contact length of a pixel separation contact width along the first direction is greater than a first pixel separation structure length of a first pixel separation structure width or a dummy pixel separation structure length of a dummy pixel separation structure width along the first direction.

15. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein the pixel separation contact is disposed so as to overlap two or more dummy pixel regions, which are sequentially arranged along the first direction, among the plurality of dummy pixel regions, and

wherein the pixel separation contact is electrically connected to the dummy pixel separation structure between the two or more dummy pixel regions.

16. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of first pixel units formed in the substrate, one of the first plurality of first pixel units being electrically isolated from another of the first plurality of first pixel units by a first insulation structure having a first grid shape, and the one of the first plurality of first pixel units being surrounded by a first conductive structure that is disposed between the one of the first plurality of first pixel units and the first insulation structure;

a second plurality of second pixel units formed in the substrate, one of the second plurality of second pixel units being surrounded by a second insulation structure, and the one of the second plurality of second pixel units being adjacently surrounded by a second conductive structure that is disposed between the one of the second plurality of second pixel units and the second insulation structure; and

a conductive element extending in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate to contact with the one of the second plurality of second pixel units and another of the second plurality of second pixel units, the conductive element providing electrical communication between one portion of the second conductive structure adjacently surrounding the one of the second plurality of second pixel units and another portion of the second conductive structure adjacently surrounding the another of the second plurality of second pixel units,

wherein the second conductive structure has a third width W3 along the first direction, and the conductive element has a fourth width W4 along the first direction,

wherein a fourth length of the fourth width W4 is equal to or greater than a third length of the third width W3 (W3≤W4).

17. The image sensor of claim 16 , wherein the conductive element is configured to receive a negative voltage so as to prevent hole accumulation on a surface of the first insulation structure.

18. The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein each of the second plurality of second pixel units does not include a photodiode.

19. The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein each of the first plurality of first pixel units comprises a photodiode and a plurality of transistors.

20. The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein the second plurality of second pixel units surround the first plurality of first pixel units.