IP Library Granted Patent US 9,312,291
Granted Patent B2
US 9,312,291 · App. 14/487,699 · Granted Apr 12, 2016

Solid-state imaging device and method for manufacturing solid-state imaging device, and electronic device

Inventors: Keiji Tatani (Kumamoto, JP); Fumihiko Koga (Kanagawa, JP); Takashi Nagano (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
H01L27/14612H01L27/1463H01L27/14603H01L27/14607H01L27/14609H01L27/14641H01L27/14643H01L27/14689
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,312,291
App. No.
14/487,699
Granted
Apr 12, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes a first-conductivity-type semiconductor well region, a plurality of pixels each of which is formed on the semiconductor well region and is composed of a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel transistor, an element isolation region provided between the pixels and in the pixels, and an element isolation region being free from an insulation film and being provided between desired pixel transistors.

Claims (58)

1. An imaging device comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor well region on the substrate which in plan view has a pixel region and a transistor

region;

a plurality of pixels in the pixel region, the plurality of pixels including a first set of pixels that share a first floating diffusion region and a second set of pixels that share a second floating diffusion region;

a plurality of transistors in the transistor region, the plurality of transistors including a first set of transistors that are shared by the first set of pixels and a second set of transistors that are shared by the second set of pixels;

an element isolation region in the transistor region including a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure; and

a well contact region in the transistor region, the well contact region being structured to apply a voltage to the semiconductor region, wherein,

the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels neighbor along a horizontal direction,

the pixel region and the transistor region neighbor along a vertical direction,

the first set of transistors include at least a first amplification transistor,

the second set of transistors include at least a second amplification transistor,

the well contact region is between the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor along the horizontal direction;

wherein the plurality of pixels further include a third set of pixels that share a third floating diffusion region,

wherein the third set of pixels is adjacent to the first set of pixels across the first set of transistors along the vertical direction.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the well contact region is between the first set of transistors and the second set of transistors.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first set of transistors and the second set of transistors include selection transistors and transfer transistors, the transfer transistors being disposed in the pixel region.

4. An imaging device comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor well region on the substrate which in plan view has a first region and a second region,

a plurality of photoelectric conversion units in the first region, the plurality of photoelectric conversion units include a first set of photoelectric conversion units that share a first floating diffusion region and a second set of photoelectric conversion units that share a second floating diffusion region;

a plurality of transistors in the second region, the plurality of transistors including a first set of transistors that are shared by the first set of photoelectric conversion units and a second set of transistors that are shared by the second set of photoelectric conversion units;

an element isolation region in the second region including a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure; and

a well contact portion to apply a voltage to the semiconductor region, the well contact portion being in the second region,

wherein,

the first set of photoelectric conversion units and the second set of photoelectric conversion units neighbor along a first direction,

the first and second regions neighbor along a second direction different than the first direction,

the first set of transistors include at least first amplification transistor,

the second set of transistors include at least a second amplification transistor,

the well contact portion is in the second region and between the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor along the first direction;

the plurality of photoelectric conversion units further include a third set of photoelectric conversion units that share a third floating diffusion region, wherein

the third set of photoelectric conversion units is adjacent to the first set of photoelectric conversion units across the first set of transistors along the second direction.

5. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the first and second regions comprise rows on the semiconductor well region.

6. The imaging device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second regions are adjacent rows on the semiconductor well region.

7. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the first set of transistors include a selection transistor in the second region and a transfer transistor in the second region.

8. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of transistors include a plurality of selection transistors in the second region.

9. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein:

the first set of photoelectric conversion units include two photoelectric conversion units in the first region that are adjacent to each other along the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

10. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the STI structure has an insulating material disposed in a groove in a semiconductor well region of the transistor region.

11. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged between the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor.

12. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel region further includes an element isolation region including an impurity diffusion region.

13. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the transistor region further includes a first selection transistor coupled to the first amplification transistor and a second selection transistor coupled to the second amplification transistor.

14. The imaging device of claim 13 , wherein the well contact region is arranged between the first selection transistor and the second selection transistor along the horizontal direction in the transistor region.

15. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a first reset transistor coupled to the first floating diffusion region and a second reset transistor coupled to the second floating diffusion region.

16. The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pixel regions arranged alternating with a plurality of transistor regions along the vertical direction.

17. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each of the pixel region and the transistor region extends along the horizontal direction.

18. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged to surround at least the well contact region in a plan view.

19. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged to surround at least the first amplification transistor in a plan view.

20. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the STI structure has an insulating material disposed in a groove in a semiconductor well region of the second region.

21. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged between the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor.

22. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the first region further includes an element isolation region including an impurity diffusion region.

23. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the second region further includes a first selection transistor coupled to the first amplification transistor and a second selection transistor coupled to the second amplification transistor.

24. The imaging device of claim 23 , wherein the well contact portion is arranged between the first selection transistor and the second selection transistor along the first direction in the second region.

25. The imaging device of claim 4 , further comprising a first reset transistor coupled to the first floating diffusion region and a second reset transistor coupled to the second floating diffusion region.

26. The imaging device of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of first regions arranged alternating with a plurality of second regions along the second direction.

27. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein each of the first region and the second region extends along the first direction.

28. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged to surround at least the well contact portion in a plan view.

29. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the element isolation region is arranged to surround at least the first amplification transistor in a plan view.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2014
From: TATANI, KEIJI; KOGA, FUMIHIKO; NAGANO, TAKASHI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033934/0788 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-221387 · Sep 25, 2009 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12881643 · Sep 14, 2010
Related Publication 20150001600A1 · Jan 1, 2015