Solid-state image sensing device and method for fabricating the same

1. A solid-state image sensing device comprising:

a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a matrix in a device formation region surrounded by a device isolation region of a semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of vertical transfer sections for transferring charges of the light receiving elements in a column direction; and

a horizontal transfer section having a horizontal channel region and a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes extending over the horizontal channel region and the device isolation region and being spaced apart from each other, the horizontal transfer section receiving the charges from the vertical transfer sections and transferring the received charges in a row direction, wherein

a distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes is larger at a boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region than in the middle of the horizontal channel region.

2. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes is equal in the middle of the horizontal channel region and in an end of the horizontal channel region close to the vertical transfer sections.

3. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein

the horizontal transfer section includes a horizontal barrier region and a horizontal drain region between the horizontal channel region and the device isolation region, and

the distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes changes over the horizontal drain region.

4. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein

the horizontal transfer section includes a horizontal barrier region and a horizontal drain region between the horizontal channel region and the device isolation region, and

the distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes changes over the horizontal barrier region.

5. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes changes over the horizontal channel region.

6. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein

the device isolation region includes an oxide film region and an impurity implanted region between the oxide film region and the device formation region, and

the distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes changes over the impurity implanted region.

7. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a bus line for applying a control voltage to the horizontal transfer electrodes; and

contacts to connect the bus line and the horizontal transfer electrodes, wherein

the contacts are connected to portions of the horizontal transfer electrodes over the device isolation region.

8. The solid-state image sensing device of claim 7 , wherein the portions of the horizontal transfer electrodes connected by the contacts are larger in width than portions of the horizontal transfer electrodes at the boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region.

9. A method for fabricating a solid-state image sensing device comprising:

(a) forming a horizontal channel region in a device formation region surrounded by a device isolation region of a semiconductor substrate;

(b) forming a conductive film extending over the horizontal channel region and the device isolation region;

(c) forming a first mask having openings on the conductive film, the openings extending in a direction crossing the horizontal channel region, and a width of the openings being larger at a boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region than in the middle of the horizontal channel region; and

(e) removing portions of the conductive film exposed in the openings to form a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes, a distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes being larger at the boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region than in the middle of the horizontal channel region.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at (c), sidewalls are formed on side faces of the openings.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein (c) includes:

(c1) forming an insulating film having first openings of constant width over the conductive film;

(c2) forming sidewalls on side faces of the first openings;

(c3) after (c2), forming a second mask having second openings over the insulating film, the second openings exposing the insulating film at the boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region, and a width of the second openings being larger than the width of the first openings; and

(c4) removing portions of the insulating film exposed in the second mask to increase the width of the first openings such that the width of the first openings is larger at the boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region than in other parts of the device formation region and the device isolation region.