Image sensor including a transparent conductive layer in a trench

1. An image sensor, comprising:

a substrate comprising an active region and a dummy region, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first device isolation pattern in a trench that extends from the first surface to the second surface and penetrates the substrate, the first device isolation pattern defining a plurality of unit pixels in the active region;

a conductive pattern in the trench, wherein the first device isolation pattern is between the conductive pattern and the substrate, and wherein the conductive pattern has an increasing width in a direction from the second surface of the substrate toward the first surface of the substrate;

a plurality of transistors on the first surface of the substrate;

a transparent conductive layer on the second surface of the substrate;

a light-blocking layer on the transparent conductive layer and electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer, the light-blocking layer having a grid structure that is adjacent light transmission regions; and

a pad electrically on the dummy region and connected to the light-blocking layer,

wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises a contact portion on the dummy region, and

wherein the contact portion is connected to the conductive pattern.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:

a planarization layer on the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the planarization layer is between the transparent conductive layer and the conductive pattern, and

wherein the contact portion penetrates the planarization layer on the dummy region and is in contact with the conductive pattern.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive pattern is vertically overlapped with the grid structure of the light-blocking layer.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:

color filters on the light-blocking layer; and

micro lenses on respective ones of the color filters.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), or organic transparent conductive materials.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive layer is a two-dimensional layer extending from the active region to the dummy region.

7. The image sensor of claim 1 ,

wherein the transparent conductive layer is substantially parallel to the second surface, and

wherein a sidewall of the conductive pattern in the trench is slanted with respect to the transparent conductive layer.

8. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of unit pixels includes a photoelectric conversion region.

9. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:

interconnection lines in an interlayered insulating layer on the first surface,

wherein the interconnection lines are electrically connected to the plurality of transistors.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of transistors comprise a plurality of transfer gates on the plurality of unit pixels, respectively, and

wherein each of the plurality of transfer gates includes a lower portion inserted in the substrate, and an upper portion on the first surface of the substrate and connected to the lower portion.

11. An image sensor, comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a first device isolation pattern in a trench that extends from the first surface to the second surface and penetrates the substrate, the first device isolation pattern defining a plurality of unit pixels in the substrate;

a conductive pattern in the trench, wherein the first device isolation pattern is between the conductive pattern and the substrate;

a plurality of transistors on the first surface of the substrate;

a transparent conductive layer on the second surface of the substrate; and

a light-blocking layer on the transparent conductive layer and electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer,

wherein the conductive pattern has a top surface that is coplanar with the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the transparent conductive layer is a two-dimensional layer overlapping the plurality of unit pixels, and

wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises a contact portion connected to the top surface of the conductive pattern.

12. The image sensor of claim 11 ,

wherein the conductive pattern comprises doped polysilicon, and

wherein the contact portion comprises a same conductive material as the transparent conductive layer.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), or organic transparent conductive materials.

14. The image sensor of claim 11 ,

wherein the light-blocking layer has a grid structure that is adjacent light transmission regions, and

wherein the conductive pattern is vertically overlapped with the grid structure of the light-blocking layer.

15. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein a negative voltage is applied from the transparent conductive layer to the conductive pattern through the light-blocking layer.

16. The image sensor of claim 11 , further comprising:

a planarization layer on the second surface of the substrate,

wherein the planarization layer is between the transparent conductive layer and the conductive pattern,

wherein the contact portion includes a same transparent conductive material as the transparent conductive layer, and

wherein the contact portion penetrates the planarization layer and is in contact with the conductive pattern.

17. An image sensor, comprising:

a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a conductive pattern in a trench that penetrates the substrate and defines a plurality of unit pixels in the substrate;

a plurality of transistors on the first surface of the substrate;

a planarization layer on the second surface of the substrate, the planarization layer on a top surface of the conductive pattern;

a transparent conductive layer on the planarization layer; and

a light-blocking layer on the transparent conductive layer and electrically connected to the transparent conductive layer,

wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises a contact portion that penetrates the planarization layer and is in contact with the top surface of the conductive pattern,

wherein the contact portion comprises a same conductive material as the transparent conductive layer, and

wherein the conductive pattern comprises a conductive material different from the transparent conductive layer,

wherein the transparent conductive layer is substantially parallel to the second surface, and

wherein a sidewall of the conductive pattern in the trench is slanted with respect to the transparent conductive layer.

18. The image sensor of claim 17 ,

wherein the conductive pattern comprises doped polysilicon, and

wherein the transparent conductive layer comprises at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), or organic transparent conductive materials.

19. The image sensor of claim 17 ,

wherein the top surface of the conductive pattern is coplanar with the second surface of the substrate, and

wherein a bottom surface of the conductive pattern is coplanar with the first surface of the substrate.

20. The image sensor of claim 17 , further comprising a pad on a peripheral region of the substrate and electrically connected to the light-blocking layer.