IP Library Granted Patent US 11,424,281
Granted Patent B2
US 11,424,281 · App. 16/987,745 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Imaging device and signal processing device

Inventors: Jun Ogi (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiaki Tashiro (Tokyo, JP); Takahiro Toyoshima (Kanagawa, JP); Yorito Sakano (Kanagawa, JP); Yusuke Oike (Kanagawa, JP); Hongbo Zhu (Tokyo, JP); Keiichi Nakazawa (Tokyo, JP); Yukari Takeya (Kanagawa, JP); Atsushi Okuyama (Kanagawa, JP); Yasufumi Miyoshi (Tokyo, JP); Ryosuke Matsumoto (Tokyo, JP); Atsushi Horiuchi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
H01L27/1463H01L27/1464H01L27/14623H01L27/14645H01L27/14685H01L27/14689H04N5/369H01L31/107
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,424,281
App. No.
16/987,745
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

To realize miniaturization of a pixel, reduction in noise, and high quantum efficiency, and to improve short-wavelength sensitivity while suppressing inter-pixel interference and variations for each pixel. According to the present disclosure, there is provided an imaging device including: a first semiconductor layer formed in a semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer of a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of the first semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer; a pixel separation unit which defines a pixel region including the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; a first electrode which is connected to the first semiconductor layer from one surface side of the semiconductor substrate; and a second electrode which is connected to the second semiconductor layer from a light irradiation surface side that is the other surface of the semiconductor substrate, and is formed to correspond to a position of the pixel separation unit.

Claims (51)

1. A light detecting device, comprising:

a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type;

a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type;

a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type;

a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor region;

a second electrode connected to the second semiconductor region;

a third electrode connected to the third semiconductor region;

a fourth electrode connected to the fourth semiconductor region; and

a pixel separation unit including a metal region and an insulating region and disposed between the second semiconductor region and the fourth semiconductor region,

wherein the first electrode is disposed closer to a light incident surface than the second electrode in a vertical direction in a cross-section view, and

wherein a part of the pixel separation unit is disposed between the second electrode and the fourth electrode in a horizontal direction in the cross-section view.

2. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second semiconductor regions are formed in a semiconductor substrate, and wherein the first semiconductor region is closer to the light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate than the second semiconductor region in the cross-section view.

3. The light detecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the metal region of the pixel separation unit extends through the semiconductor substrate.

4. The light detecting device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a metal layer disposed on a light incident surface side of the pixel separation unit.

5. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is in contact with a first portion of the insulating region of the pixel separation unit.

6. The light detecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the pixel separation unit is a first pixel separation unit disposed on a first side of the first and second semiconductor regions, the device further comprising a second pixel separation unit including a metal region and an insulating region and disposed on a second side of the first and second semiconductor regions.

7. The light detecting device according to claim 6 , wherein the metal region of the first pixel separation unit extends through the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the metal region of the second pixel separation unit extends through the semiconductor substrate.

8. The light detecting device according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a metal layer disposed on a light incident surface side of the first and second pixel separation units.

9. The light detecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the first electrode is in contact with a first portion of the insulating region of the first pixel separation unit, and wherein the first electrode is in contact with a first portion of the insulating region of the second pixel separation unit.

10. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is an anode electrode, and wherein the second electrode is a cathode electrode.

11. The light detecting device according to claim 10 , wherein the third electrode is an anode electrode, and wherein the fourth electrode is a cathode electrode.

12. The light detecting device according to claim 11 , wherein the first semiconductor region is a P-type layer, wherein the second semiconductor region is an N-type layer, wherein the third semiconductor region is a P-type layer, and wherein the fourth semiconductor region is an N-type layer.

13. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is formed in an inter-pixel separation region.

14. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first color filter of a first color, wherein the first color filter of the first color is on a light incident surface side and adjacent the first semiconductor region; and

a first color filter of a second color, wherein the first color filter of the second color is on the light incident surface side and adjacent the third semiconductor region.

15. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel separation unit is between the first semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region.

16. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel separation unit is formed in a trench region.

17. The light detecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the light incident surface is a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate.

18. The light detecting device according to claim 17 , further comprising a contact layer that is connected to the second electrode.

19. The light detecting device according to claim 18 , wherein the contact layer is connected to the fourth electrode.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a first semiconductor chip including a light detecting device, the light detecting device including:

a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type;

a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type;

a third semiconductor region of the first conductivity type;

a fourth semiconductor region of the second conductivity type;

a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor region;

a second electrode connected to the second semiconductor region;

a third electrode connected to the third semiconductor region;

a fourth electrode connected to the fourth semiconductor region; and

a pixel separation unit including a metal region and an insulating region and disposed between the second semiconductor region and the fourth semiconductor region,

wherein the first electrode is disposed closer to a light incident surface than the second electrode in a vertical direction in a cross-section view, and

wherein a part of the pixel separation unit is disposed between the second electrode and the fourth electrode in a horizontal direction in the cross-section view; and

a second semiconductor chip stacked on the first semiconductor chip, wherein the second semiconductor chip includes:

a signal processing unit;

a control unit; and

a memory unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2020
From: OGI, JUN; TASHIRO, YOSHIAKI; TOYOSHIMA, TAKAHIRO; SAKANO, YORITO; OIKE, YUSUKE; ZHU, HONGBO; NAKAZAWA, KEIICHI; TAKEYA, YUKARI; OKUYAMA, ATSUSHI; MIYOSHI, YASUFUMI; MATSUMOTO, RYOSUKE; HORIUCHI, ATSUSHI
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053477/0803 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2017-055582 · Mar 22, 2017 · national
JP 2018-045205 · Mar 13, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16301877
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