公开(公告)号：US09911780B1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-06

申请号：US15388888

申请日：2016-12-22

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen ,  Duli Mao

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/18

CPC classification number: H01L27/14636 ,  H01L27/14629 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L27/14685 ,  H01L27/14689 ,  H01L31/18

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor material including a plurality of photodiodes disposed in the semiconductor material. The image sensor also includes a first insulating material disposed proximate to a frontside of the semiconductor material, and an interconnect disposed in the first insulating material proximate to the frontside of the semiconductor material. A metal pad extends from a backside of the semiconductor material through the first insulating material and contacts the interconnect. A metal grid is disposed proximate to the backside of the semiconductor material, and the semiconductor material is disposed between the metal grid and the first insulating material disposed proximate to the frontside.

公开(公告)号：US11563044B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16905670

申请日：2020-06-18

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate and a passivation layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a pixel array surrounded by a periphery region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms, in the periphery region, a plurality of first peripheral-trenches extending into the semiconductor substrate. The passivation layer is on the back surface and lines each of the plurality of first peripheral-trenches.

公开(公告)号：US20220278148A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17187396

申请日：2021-02-26

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Qin Wang

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes a trench etched into a front side surface of a semiconductor substrate. The trench includes a bottom surface etched along a crystalline plane and a tilted side surface etched along a crystalline plane that extends between the bottom surface and the front side surface. A floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the bottom surface of the trench. A photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor substrate beneath the tilted side surface of the trench and is separated from the floating diffusion. The photodiode is configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. A tilted transfer gate is disposed over at least a portion of the bottom surface and at least a portion of the tilted side surface of the trench. The tilted transfer gate is configured to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion.

公开(公告)号：US11302727B2

公开(公告)日：2022-04-12

申请号：US16689938

申请日：2019-11-20

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui Zang ,  Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen

IPC: H01L27/14 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L29/78 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L29/423

Abstract: A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate, a photodiode region, a floating diffusion region, and a dielectric layer. The substrate has a top surface forming a trench lined by the dielectric layer, and having a trench depth relative to a planar region of the top surface. The photodiode region is in the substrate and includes a bottom photodiode section beneath the trench and a top photodiode section adjacent to the trench, adjoining the bottom photodiode section, and extending toward the planar region to a photodiode depth less than the trench depth. The floating diffusion region is adjacent to the trench and has a junction depth less than the trench depth. A top region of the dielectric layer is between the planar region and the junction depth. A bottom region of the dielectric layer is between the photodiode depth and the trench depth, and thicker than the top region.

公开(公告)号：US20220059599A1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-24

申请号：US16998783

申请日：2020-08-20

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A device includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, a transfer gate, and a channel region. The photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The photodiode is coupled to generate charge in response to incident light. The floating diffusion region is disposed in the semiconductor material. The transfer gate is disposed between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region. The channel region associated with the transfer gate is in the semiconductor material proximate to the transfer gate. The transfer gate is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion region through the channel region in response to a transfer signal coupled to be received by the transfer gate. The transfer gate includes a plurality of fin structures that extend into the semiconductor material and the photodiode.

公开(公告)号：US11152404B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-19

申请号：US16723922

申请日：2019-12-20

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Woon il Choi

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel cell includes an electrically conductive tunnel contact formed across a surface of a source follower gate, the tunnel contact having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends. The first end is coupled to a floating diffusion FD, the second end is coupled to the first doped region of a reset transistor RST. The tunnel contact is formed in physical and in electrical contact with the surface of the source follower gate for a length of the intermediate portion substantially equal to a width of the source follower gate. Methods of forming the pixel cell are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20210082975A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-18

申请号：US16575269

申请日：2019-09-18

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Gang Chen ,  Qin Wang

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: Backside illuminated sensor pixel structure. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array that are disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Individual photodiodes of the pixel array are configured to receive incoming light through a backside of the semiconductor substrate. The individual photodiodes have a diffusion region formed in an epitaxial region and a plurality of storage nodes (SGs) that are disposed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate and formed in the epitaxial region. An opaque isolation layer having a plurality of opaque isolation elements is disposed proximate to the front side of the semiconductor substrate and proximate to the diffusion region of the plurality of photodiodes. The opaque isolation elements are configured to block a path of incoming light from the backside of the semiconductor substrate toward the storage nodes.

公开(公告)号：US10790322B1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-29

申请号：US16543681

申请日：2019-08-19

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/33

Abstract: An image sensor include a semiconductor substrate, a first epitaxial layer, a second epitaxial layer, a plurality of photodiodes, and a plurality of pixel isolation structures. The first epitaxial layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and the second epitaxial layer is formed on the first epitaxial layer. Each photodiode includes a first diffusion region formed in the first epitaxial layer and a second diffusion region formed in the second epitaxial layer. The second diffusion region is extended through the second epitaxial layer and electrically coupled to the first diffusion region. Each pixel isolation structure include a first isolation structure formed between adjacent first diffusion regions in the first epitaxial layer and a second isolation structure formed between adjacent second diffusion regions in the second epitaxial layer. The second isolation structure is extended through the second epitaxial layer to connect to the first isolation structure.

公开(公告)号：US20190088705A1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-21

申请号：US15707940

申请日：2017-09-18

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Qin Wang ,  Gang Chen

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a semiconductor material having a front side and a back side opposite the front side; a dielectric layer disposed on the front side of the semiconductor material; a poly layer disposed on the dielectric layer; an interlayer dielectric material covering both the poly layer and the dielectric layer; an inter-metal layer disposed on the interlayer dielectric material, wherein a metal interconnect is disposed in the inter-metal layer; and a contact pad trench extending from the back side of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material, wherein the contact pad trench comprises a contact pad disposed in the contact pad trench, wherein the contact pad and the metal interconnect are coupled with a plurality of contact plugs; and at least an air gap isolates the contact pad and side walls of the contact pad trench. The poly layer and the semiconductor material between adjacent two STI structures of a plurality of first and second STI structures are used as hard masks to form the plurality of contact plugs by selectively removing the dielectric materials between a first side of the plurality of first STI structures and the metal interconnect, wherein each of the plurality of contact plugs extends from each of the first side of the plurality of first STI structures through each of the plurality of first STI structures into the interlayer dielectric material and vertically abuts the metal interconnect.

公开(公告)号：US20180249105A1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-30

申请号：US15443783

申请日：2017-02-27

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Gang Chen ,  Qin Wang ,  Duli Mao ,  Dyson H. Tai ,  Lindsay Alexander Grant

IPC: H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N9/04 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H04N5/232

CPC classification number: H04N5/3696 ,  H04N5/23212 ,  H04N5/3742 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N9/045

Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of split dual photodiode (DPD) pairs. First groupings of the array of split DPD pairs consist entirely of either first-dimension split DPD pairs or entirely of second-dimension split DPD pairs. Each first grouping of the array of split DPD pairs consisting of the first-dimension split DPD pairs is adjacent to an other first grouping of the array of split DPD pairs consisting of the second-dimension split DPD pairs. The first-dimension is orthogonal to the second-dimension. A plurality of floating diffusion (FD) regions is arranged in each first grouping of the split DPD pairs. Each one of a plurality of transfer transistors is coupled to a respective photodiode of a respective split DPD pair, and is coupled between the respective photodiode and a respective one of the plurality of FD regions.