IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,329,094
Granted Patent B2
US 11,329,094 · App. 16/889,117 · Granted May 10, 2022

Image sensor

Inventor: Bo-Tsung Tsai (Kaohsiung, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
H01L27/14638H01L27/1463H01L27/14616H01L27/14634H01L27/14636H01L27/14643H01L27/14689
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,329,094
App. No.
16/889,117
Granted
May 10, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device includes a substrate, a pinning region in the substrate and having a first doping type, a photodiode in the substrate and having a doped region that has a second doping type opposite to the first doping type, and a first conductive contact. The doped region of the photodiode has a first portion below the pinning region and a second portion extending upwards from a top of the first portion of the doped region of the photodiode to a top of the substrate, and the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode is surrounded by the pinning region. The first conductive contact is disposed over and in contact with the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode.

Claims (38)

1. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a pinning region in the substrate and having a first doping type;

a photodiode in the substrate and having a doped region that has a second doping type opposite to the first doping type, wherein the doped region of the photodiode has a first portion below the pinning region and a second portion extending upwards from a top of the first portion of the doped region of the photodiode to a top of the substrate, and the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode is surrounded by the pinning region;

a first conductive contact over and in contact with the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode;

a second conductive contact over and in direct physical contact with the pinning region; and

at least one isolation structure surrounding the photodiode and spaced from the photodiode, wherein the pinning region extends laterally from the isolation structure to the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a top of the pinning region is substantially aligned horizontally with a top of the second portion of the doped region.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pinning region is in contact with the isolation structure.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the doped region of the photodiode is doped with an n-type dopant, the pinning region is doped with a p-type dopant, and a doping concentration of the doped region of the photodiode is less than a doping concentration of the pinning region.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the isolation structure comprises a p-type doped region.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the isolation structure is below a bottom of the pinning region.

7. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a pinning region in the substrate and having a first doping type;

a photodiode in the substrate and having a first doped region that has a second doping type opposite to the first doping type, wherein the first doped region of the photodiode has a first portion below the pinning region and a second portion extending upwards from a top of the first portion of the first doped region of the photodiode to a top of the substrate;

a gate structure over the pinning region, wherein the gate structure comprises a conductive layer in direct physical contact with the pinning region; and

a conductive contact over and in contact with the second portion of the first doped region of the photodiode and surrounded by the gate structure, wherein a bottom surface of the conductive contact is below a top surface of the gate structure.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the pinning region has a portion laterally extending from the gate structure toward the conductive contact.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the photodiode has a second doped region having the second doping type below the first doped region, and a doping concentration of the first doped region of the photodiode is greater than a doping concentration of the second doped region of the photodiode.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein a doping concentration of the pinning region is greater than the doping concentration of the second doped region of the photodiode.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein a doping concentration of the pinning region is less than the doping concentration of the first doped region of the photodiode.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the pinning region is free from coverage by the gate structure.

13. The device of claim 7 , wherein the conductive contact is substantially rectangular when view from above.

14. The device of claim 7 , further comprising an isolation structure below the gate structure and in contact with the pinning region.

15. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a pinning region in the substrate and having a first doping type;

a photodiode in the substrate and having a doped region that has a second doping type opposite to the first doping type, wherein the doped region of the photodiode has a first portion below the pinning region and a second portion extending upwards from a top of the first portion of the doped region of the photodiode to a top of the substrate;

a gate dielectric layer over the pinning region, wherein the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode is free from coverage by the gate dielectric layer, wherein the pinning region has a first portion free from coverage by the gate dielectric layer and adjacent to the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode;

a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer;

a conductive contact over and in contact with the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode; and

an isolation structure in the substrate and surrounding the photodiode, wherein the gate dielectric layer covers the isolation structure.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the gate electrode comprises doped polysilicon.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the pinning region has a second portion covered by the gate dielectric layer, and the first portion of the pinning region is laterally between the second portion of the pinning region and the second portion of the doped region of the photodiode.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the isolation structure comprises a doped region having a doping type the same as the first doping type.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein a bottom of the isolation structure is below a bottom of the pinning region.

20. The device of claim 15 , wherein the conductive contact is free of contacting the gate dielectric layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2020
From: TSAI, BO-TSUNG
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052839/0131 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15655957 · Jul 21, 2017
Provisional Application 62429961 · Dec 5, 2016
Provisional Application 62427933 · Nov 30, 2016
Related Publication 20200295072A1 · Sep 17, 2020