IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,798,972
Granted Patent B2
US 11,798,972 · App. 18/064,794 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

Imaging element

Inventors: Keiichi Nakazawa (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiaki Kitano (Kanagawa, JP); Hirofumi Yamashita (Kanagawa, JP); Minoru Ishida (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
H01L27/14636H01L27/14634H04N25/75H04N25/778H04N25/79
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,798,972
App. No.
18/064,794
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate that are stacked in this order. The first substrate including a sensor pixel that performs photoelectric conversion and the second substrate including a readout circuit are electrically coupled to each other by a first through wiring line provided in an interlayer insulating film. The second substrate and the third substrate including a logic circuit are electrically coupled to each other by a junction between pad electrodes or a second through wiring line penetrating through a semiconductor substrate.

Claims (62)

1. A light detecting device, comprising:

a first substrate section including a first semiconductor substrate having a sensor pixel;

a second substrate section including a second semiconductor substrate having a first circuit for outputting a pixel signal;

a third substrate section including a third semiconductor substrate having a second circuit for processing the pixel signal; and

an interlayer insulating film disposed between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate,

wherein a first through wiring line electrically coupling the first substrate section and the second substrate section is provided in the interlayer insulating film,

wherein a first electrode in the second substrate section and a second electrode in the third substrate section are bonded to each other for electrically coupling the second substrate section and the third substrate section, and

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, a width of the first through wiring line is narrower than at least one of a width of the first electrode or a width of the second electrode.

2. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate section includes a photoelectric converter, a transfer transistor, and a floating diffusion, the transfer transistor being electrically coupled to the photoelectric converter, and wherein the floating diffusion temporarily holds an electric charge outputted from the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor.

3. The light detecting device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the sensor pixel is part of a plurality of sensor pixels,

wherein the first substrate section includes the photoelectric converter, the transfer transistor, and the floating diffusion for each sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels, and

wherein the second substrate section includes the first circuit for each sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels.

4. The light detecting device according to claim 3 , further comprising isolation material that separates respective sensor pixels of the plurality of sensor pixels, wherein the isolation material penetrates through the first semiconductor substrate.

5. The light detecting device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the interlayer insulating film includes at least two of the first through wiring lines for each sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels,

wherein, for each sensor pixel, a first one of the first through wiring lines is electrically coupled to a gate of the transfer transistor, and

wherein, for each sensor pixel, a second one of the first through wiring lines is electrically coupled to the floating diffusion.

6. The light detecting device according to claim 5 , wherein the second substrate section further includes:

a coupling wiring line electrically coupling the first and second ones of the first through wiring lines to each other.

7. The light detecting device according to claim 6 , wherein a number of the first and second ones of the first through wiring lines is greater than a number of sensor pixels included in the first substrate section.

8. The light detecting device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first substrate section further includes a gate wiring line extending in a direction parallel to the first substrate section, and

wherein a gate of the transfer transistor is electrically coupled to the second circuit via the gate wiring line.

9. The light detecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the first through wiring line is provided for each sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels.

10. The light detecting device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the sensor pixel is part of a plurality of sensor pixels arranged in groups,

wherein the first substrate section includes the photoelectric converter, the transfer transistor, and the floating diffusion for each sensor pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels, and

wherein the second substrate section includes the first circuit for each group of sensor pixels.

11. The light detecting device according to claim 10 , wherein sensor pixels in each group of sensor pixels share their floating diffusions.

12. The light detecting device according to claim 2 , wherein a gate of the transfer transistor is electrically coupled to the second circuit via the first and second electrodes.

13. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second circuit includes a silicide disposed in an impurity diffusion region in contact with a source electrode or a drain electrode.

14. The light detecting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the interlayer insulating film includes:

a first insulating layer provided in a gap between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate;

a second insulating layer provided to cover a side surface of the first through wiring line; and

a third insulating layer provided in a gap between the second semiconductor substrate and the third semiconductor substrate, and

wherein the second insulating layer includes a material having a lower relative dielectric constant than relative dielectric constants of the first insulating layer and the third insulating layer.

15. The light detecting device according to claim 14 ,

wherein the first insulating layer includes at least two insulating layers, and

wherein an uppermost insulating layer in the at least two insulating layers includes a material having a higher relative dielectric constant than a relative dielectric constant of remaining insulating layers in the at least two insulating layers.

16. The light detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are formed of copper or aluminum.

17. A light detecting device, comprising:

a first substrate section including a first semiconductor substrate having at least one sensor pixel;

a second substrate section including a second semiconductor substrate having a first circuit for outputting a pixel signal of the at least one sensor pixel;

a third substrate section including a third semiconductor substrate having a second circuit for processing the pixel signal of the at least one sensor pixel; and

an interlayer insulating film disposed between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate,

wherein through wiring lines that electrically couple the first substrate section and the second substrate section are provided in the interlayer insulating film,

wherein a first electrode in the second substrate section and a second electrode in the third substrate section are bonded to each other for electrically coupling the second substrate section and the third substrate section,

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, widths of the through wiring lines are narrower than at least one of a width of the first electrode or a width of the second electrode, and

wherein a number of the through wiring lines is greater than a number of sensor pixels included in the first substrate section.

18. The light detecting device according to claim 17 , wherein the first substrate section includes a photoelectric converter, a transfer transistor, and a floating diffusion, the transfer transistor being electrically coupled to the photoelectric converter, and wherein the floating diffusion temporarily holds an electric charge outputted from the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor.

19. A light detecting device, comprising:

a first substrate section including a first semiconductor substrate having at least one sensor pixel;

a second substrate section including a second semiconductor substrate having a first circuit for outputting a pixel signal of the at least one sensor pixel; and

a third substrate section including a third semiconductor substrate having a second circuit for processing the pixel signal of the at least one sensor pixel,

wherein a stacked body of the first substrate section and the second substrate section includes an interlayer insulating film,

wherein at least one through wiring line electrically coupling the first substrate section and the second substrate section is provided in the interlayer insulating film,

wherein at least one first electrode in the second substrate section and at least one second electrode in the third substrate section are bonded to each other for electrically coupling the second substrate section and the third substrate section,

wherein, in a cross-sectional view, a width of the at least one through wiring line is narrower than a width of at least one of the at least one first electrode or a width of the at least one second electrode, and

wherein a total number of junctions between electrodes in the at least one first electrode and electrodes in the at least one second electrode is smaller than a number of sensor pixels included in the first substrate section.

20. The light detecting device according to claim 19 , wherein the first substrate section includes a photoelectric converter, a transfer transistor, and a floating diffusion, the transfer transistor being electrically coupled to the photoelectric converter, and wherein the floating diffusion temporarily holds an electric charge outputted from the photoelectric converter via the transfer transistor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2022
From: NAKAZAWA, KEIICHI; KITANO, YOSHIAKI; YAMASHITA, HIROFUMI; ISHIDA, MINORU
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062121/0665 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/JP2018/036417 · Sep 28, 2018 · international
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16956141
Provisional Application 62610806 · Dec 27, 2017
Related Publication 20230154964A1 · May 18, 2023