公开(公告)号：US20230079156A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-16

申请号：US17475876

申请日：2021-09-15

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Gang CHEN ,  Shiyu SUN ,  Yuanwei ZHENG ,  Armin YAZDANI

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a floating diffusion region and a photodiode region. The pixel also includes, between a front surface of the semiconductor substrate and a back surface opposing the front surface: a first trench and a second trench adjacent to the first trench in a separation direction that is both (a) parallel to the front surface and (b) in a plane that is perpendicular to the front surface. Each of the first and second trench (a) is between the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region and (b) extends into the semiconductor substrate from the front surface. In the separation direction, a top average-separation between the first and second trench, at depths between the front surface and a first depth in the semiconductor substrate, exceeds a bottom average-separation between the first and second trench, at depths exceeding the first depth.

公开(公告)号：US20230067685A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-02

申请号：US17411828

申请日：2021-08-25

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel of an image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposing the front surface, a photodiode and floating diffusion (FD) region formed in the substrate along a first pixel axis parallel to the front surface and a transfer gate formed in the front surface of the substrate between the photodiode and the FD region. The transfer gate includes a planar gate on the front surface of the substrate, a vertical transfer gate extending into the substrate from the planar gate, the vertical transfer gate further including a trench and a layer of doped semiconductor material epitaxially grown on the sides and bottom of the trench. The semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer comprise a first conductive type, and the photodiode and the FD region comprise a second conductive type. An image sensor and method of forming the vertical transfer gate are disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20220115431A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-14

申请号：US17556141

申请日：2021-12-20

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A method for forming a pixel includes forming, in a semiconductor substrate, a wide trench having an upper depth with respect to a planar top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes ion-implanting a floating-diffusion region between the planar top surface and a junction depth in the semiconductor substrate. In a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the planar top surface, the floating-diffusion region has (i) an upper width between the planar top surface and the upper depth, and (ii) between the upper depth and the junction depth, a lower width that exceeds the upper width. Part of the floating-diffusion region is beneath the wide trench and between the upper depth and the junction depth.

公开(公告)号：US20210183937A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-17

申请号：US16711239

申请日：2019-12-11

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel includes a semiconductor substrate, an upper surface thereof forming a trench having a trench depth relative to a planar region of the upper surface surrounding the trench, and in a plane perpendicular to the planar region; an upper width between the planar region and an upper depth that is less than the trench depth; and a lower width, between the upper depth and the trench depth, that is less than the upper width. A floating diffusion region adjacent to the trench extends away from the planar region to a junction depth exceeding the upper depth and is less than the trench depth. The photodiode region in the substrate includes a lower photodiode section beneath the trench and an upper photodiode section adjacent to the trench, beginning at a photodiode depth that is less than the trench depth, extending toward and adjoining the lower photodiode section.

公开(公告)号：US20230035130A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-02

申请号：US17392023

申请日：2021-08-02

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Gang CHEN ,  Qin WANG ,  Chao NIU

IPC: G02B3/00 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/369

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein reduce petal flare. A flare-suppressing image sensor includes a plurality of pixels including a first set of pixels and a second set of pixels. The flare-suppressing image sensor further includes plurality of microlenses, where each microlens is aligned to a respective one of the first set of pixels. The flare-suppressing image sensor further includes plurality of sub-microlens, where each microlens array is aligned to a respective one of the second set of pixels.

公开(公告)号：US20220320175A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17220695

申请日：2021-04-01

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H01L29/423

Abstract: An uneven-trench pixel cell includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a floating diffusion region, a photodiode region, and, between a front surface and a back surface: a first sidewall surface, a shallow bottom surface, a second sidewall surface, and a deep bottom surface. The first sidewall surface and a shallow bottom surface define a shallow trench, located between the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, that extends into the semiconductor substrate from the front surface. A shallow depth of the shallow trench exceeds a junction depth of the floating diffusion region. The second sidewall surface and a deep bottom surface define a deep trench, located between the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, that extends into the semiconductor substrate from the front surface. A distance between the deep bottom surface and the front surface defines a deep depth, of the deep trench, that exceeds the shallow depth.

公开(公告)号：US20210272994A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-02

申请号：US16804671

申请日：2020-02-28

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A method for forming a transfer gate includes (i) forming a dielectric pillar on a surface of a semiconductor substrate and (ii) growing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the dielectric pillar. The dielectric pillar has a pillar height that exceeds an epitaxial-layer height of the epitaxial layer relative to the surface. The method also includes removing the dielectric pillar to yield a trench in the epitaxial layer. A pixel includes a doped semiconductor substrate having a front surface opposite a back surface. The front surface forms a trench extending a depth zT with respect to the front surface within the doped semiconductor substrate along a direction z perpendicular to the front surface and the back surface. The pixel has a dopant concentration profile, a derivative thereof with respect to direction z being discontinuous at depth zT.

公开(公告)号：US20230122521A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-20

申请号：US18084728

申请日：2022-12-20

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Qin WANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A method for preventing defects in a thin film deposited on a semiconductor substrate includes forming a plurality of trenches on a periphery-region of the semiconductor substrate to yield a trenched surface. The semiconductor substrate includes a pixel array; the periphery-region surrounds the pixel array. The trenched surface includes (i) a plurality of trench regions each forming a respective one of the plurality of trenches and (ii) between each pair of adjacent trenches, a respective one of a plurality of inter-trench surfaces. The method also includes depositing the thin film on the surface such that the thin film covers each inter-trench surface and conformally covers each trench region.

公开(公告)号：US20220320162A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17220651

申请日：2021-04-01

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A pixel-array substrate includes (i) a semiconductor substrate including a photodiode region and a floating diffusion region, and (ii) a vertical-transfer-gate structure that includes a trench and a gate electrode. The trench is defined by a bottom surface and a sidewall surface of the substrate each located between a front substrate-surface and a back substrate-surface thereof. The trench extends into the substrate. In a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the front substrate-surface and intersecting the floating diffusion region, the photodiode region, and the sidewall surface, (a) the trench is located between the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, and (b) a top section of the sidewall surface is adjacent to the floating diffusion region. A gate electrode partially fills the trench such that the top section and a conductive-surface of the gate electrode in-part define a recess located between the floating diffusion region and the gate electrode.

公开(公告)号：US20220130885A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-28

申请号：US17080780

申请日：2020-10-26

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Hui ZANG ,  Gang CHEN

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: A pixel-array substrate includes a floating diffusion region and a first photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate. A top surface of the semiconductor substrate defines a trench 1A and a trench 1B each (i) extending into the semiconductor substrate away from a planar region of the top surface between the trench 1A and the trench 1B and (ii) having a respective distal end, with respect to the floating diffusion region, located between the floating diffusion region and the first photodiode. In a horizontal plane parallel to the top surface and along an inter-trench direction between the trench 1A and the trench 1B, a first spatial separation between the trench 1A and the trench 1B increases with increasing distance from the floating diffusion region.