Pixel with raised photodiode structure

1. An active pixel cell on a semiconductor substrate with a top surface, the active pixel cell comprising:

an isolation feature in the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a photodiode adjacent to the isolation feature, wherein the photodiode comprises:

a first-type pinned photodiode (PPD) in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first-type PPD has a first-type PPD surface coplanar with the top surface;

a second-type PPD on the first-type PPD surface, wherein the second-type PPD has a second-type PPD surface which is elevated higher than the first-type PPD surface, and the first-type PPD is one of an n-type PPD and a p-type PPD, and the second-type PPD is the other one of the n-type PPD and the p-type PPD; and

a protective oxide which is disposed on and covers the second-type PPD and contacts a portion of a top surface of the second-type PPD.

2. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the second-type PPD is an epitaxial layer.

3. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the second-type PPD has a thickness substantially in a range from 10 nm to 200 nm.

4. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the second-type PPD has a thickness substantially in a range from 30 nm to 50 nm.

5. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the isolation feature comprises a silicon oxide, a trench isolation, silicon dioxide or a field oxide (FOX).

6. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the second-type PPD has a doping concentration substantially in a range from 5×10 15 to 1×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .

7. The active pixel cell of claim 1 , wherein the first-type PPD is an n-type PPD and the second-type PPD is a p-type PPD.

8. A method for fabricating an active pixel cell on a semiconductor substrate with a top surface, the method comprising:

providing an isolation feature in the top surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a photodiode adjacent to the isolation feature, wherein the forming comprises:

forming a first-type pinned photodiode (PPD) in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first-type PPD has a first-type PPD surface coplanar with the top surface;

forming a second-type PPD on the first-type PPD surface, wherein the second-type PPD has a second-type PPD surface which is elevated higher than the first-type PPD surface, and the first-type PPD is one of an n-type PPD and a p-type PPD, and the second-type PPD is the other one of the n-type PPD and the p-type PPD; and

forming a protective oxide on and to cover the second-type PPD and contacts a portion of a top surface of the second-type PPD.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of forming the first-type PPD comprises forming the first-type PPD in the semiconductor substrate using an implanting process.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of forming the second-type PPD comprises forming the second-type PPD on the first-type PPD surface using an selective epitaxy growth (SEG) and in-situ doping process.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the operation of using the selective epitaxy growth (SEG) and in-situ doping process forms the second-type PPD with a doping concentration, and the doping concentration is substantially in a range from 5×10 15 to 1×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of forming the protective oxide forms protective oxide with a thickness, and the thickness is substantially in a range from 1 nm to 100 nm.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of forming the second-type PPD forms the second-type PPD with a thickness substantially in a range from 1 nm to 200 nm.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operation of forming the second-type PPD forms the second-type PPD with a thickness substantially in a range from 30 nm to 50 nm.

15. A method for fabricating an image sensor device, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate with a top surface;

forming an isolation feature disposed in the top surface to define a pixel region and a periphery region of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a transistor gate and a gate structure respectively on the pixel region and the periphery region;

doping first-type ions into the pixel region and the periphery region to form a first-type PPD and a first-type drain region in the pixel region, and to form a first-type source/drain region in the periphery region, wherein the transistor gate is between the first-type PPD and the first-type drain region, and the gate structure is between the first-type source/drain region, wherein the first-type PPD has a first-type PPD surface coplanar with the top surface;

forming a second-type PPD on the first-type PPD surface, wherein the second-type PPD has a second-type PPD surface which is elevated higher than the first-type PPD surface, and the first-type PPD is one of an n-type PPD and a p-type PPD, and the second-type PPD is the other one of the n-type PPD and the p-type PPD; and

forming a protective oxide on and to cover the second-type PPD and contact a portion of a top surface of the second-type PPD.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operation of forming the second-type PPD comprises forming the second-type PPD on the first-type PPD using a selective epitaxy growth (SEG) and in-situ doping process.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operation of forming the protective oxide forms protective oxide with a thickness, and the thickness is substantially in a range from 1 nm to 100 nm.