Image sensor

• US 10,304,887 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Han-seok, Park, Byung-jun, Jeong, Hee-geun, Nah, Seung-joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shook, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US15/862,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20180286896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1463 Pixel isolation structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1464 Back illuminated imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14667 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14689 MOS based technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14694 The active layers comprising only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs, InP

Abstract

A substrate includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array structure and has a front side and a back side opposite to the front side. An interconnection is arranged on the front side of the substrate. An insulating layer, a color filter, and a micro-lens are arranged on the back side of the substrate. A pixel separation structure is disposed in the substrate. The pixel separation structure includes a conductive layer having a grid structure in a planar view of the image sensor and surrounds each of the plurality of pixels. A back side contact is vertically overlapped with and electrically connected to a grid point portion of the grid structure of the conductive layer of the pixel separation structure.

Claims

1. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array structure, and having a front side and a back side opposite to the front side;

an interconnection arranged on the front side of the substrate;

an insulating layer, a color filter, and a micro-lens arranged on the back side of the substrate;

a pixel separation structure disposed in the substrate, wherein the pixel separation structure includes a conductive layer having a grid structure in a planar view of the image sensor and surrounding each of the plurality of pixels; and

a back side contact vertically overlapped with and electrically connected to a grid point portion of the grid structure of the conductive layer of the pixel separation structure.

2. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein the pixel separation structure further comprises a plurality of sidewall insulating layers each of which is interposed between the conductive layer and one of the plurality of pixels and surrounds the one of the plurality of pixels, and

wherein the conductive layer penetrates the substrate to be electrically connected to the interconnection.

3. The image sensor of claim 2,

wherein a negative voltage or a ground voltage is applied to the conductive layer and the back side contact through the interconnection.

4. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein a part of the back side contact is inserted into the grid point portion of the grid structure of the conductive layer.

5. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein the back side contact comprises an upper head portion penetrating the insulating layer and a lower insertion portion inserted into the grid point portion of the grid structure of the conductive layer, and

wherein a width of the upper head portion is greater than a width of the lower insertion portion.

6. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein an upper surface of the back side contact has one of a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, and a cross shape.

7. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of pixels has a rectangular structure in the planar view of the image sensor,

wherein the plurality of pixels includes four pixels arranged in two rows and two columns,

wherein the back side contact is spaced apart from the four pixels, and

wherein the grid point portion of the grid structure of the conductive layer is positioned in a region of the conductive layer adjacent to the four pixels.

8. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein a width of the back side contact is less than a width of the conductive layer.

9. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein the insulating layer comprises an antireflection layer.

10. The image sensor of claim 2,

wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a photodiode,

wherein the photodiode is surrounded by one of the plurality of sidewall insulating layers so that the photodiode is isolated from the conductive layer of the pixel separation structure.

11. The image sensor of claim 1,

wherein the conductive layer includes polysilicon, and

wherein the back side contact includes tungsten (W).

12. An image sensor comprising:

a plurality of pixels each comprising a photodiode disposed in a substrate and comprising a front side and a back side, the plurality of pixels being arranged in a first direction and a second direction to form an array structure in a planar view of the image sensor;

a pixel separation structure penetrating the substrate, wherein the pixel separation structure includes a plurality of sidewall insulating layers, and a conductive layer having a grid structure surrounding each of the plurality of sidewall insulating layers; and

a plurality of back side contacts each partially inserted into one of a plurality of grid point portions of the grid structure of the conductive layer,

wherein the plurality of grid point portions of the grid structure of the conductive layer is non-overlapped in the first direction and in the second direction with the plurality of pixels.

13. The image sensor of claim 12, further comprising:

an interconnection on the front side of the substrate,

wherein the conductive layer has an integrally connected structure and is electrically connected to the interconnection, and

wherein a negative voltage or a ground voltage is applied to the conductive layer and the plurality of back side contacts through the interconnection.

14. The image sensor of claim 12, further comprising:

an insulating layer on the back side of the substrate,

wherein each of the plurality of back side contacts comprises an upper head portion penetrating the insulating layer and a lower insertion portion inserted into one of the plurality of grid point portions of the grid structure of the conductive layer.

15. The image sensor of claim 14,

wherein the insulating layer includes hafnium oxide (HfOx),

wherein the conductive layer includes polysilicon, and

wherein the plurality of back side contacts includes tungsten (W).

16. The image sensor of claim 12,

wherein a number of the plurality of back side contacts is smaller than a number of the plurality of grid point portions.

17. An image sensor having a voltage source generating a voltage, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of photodiodes disposed in the substrate and arranged in a first direction and in a second direction intersecting the first direction in a planar view of the image sensor;

a pixel separation structure penetrating the substrate, and surrounding each of the plurality of photodiodes and separating the plurality of photodiodes from each other;

an interconnection electrically connected to the pixel separation structure and applied with the voltage having a negative voltage or a ground voltage; and

a plurality of back side contacts arranged in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction in the planar view of the image sensor and electrically connected to the interconnection through the pixel separation structure,

wherein the plurality of back side contacts each is partially inserted in a region of the pixel separation structure, and

wherein the region of the pixel separation structure is surrounded by a predetermined number of the plurality of photodiodes.

18. The image sensor of claim 17,

wherein the pixel separation structure includes a plurality of sidewall insulating layers and a conductive layer penetrating the substrate to be electrically connected to the interconnection and surrounding each of the plurality of sidewall insulating layers, and

wherein the plurality of sidewall insulating layers each surrounds one of the plurality of photodiodes.

19. The image sensor of claim 18,

wherein the region of the pixel separation structure is part of the conductive layer,

wherein the region of the pixel separation structure is non-overlapped in the first direction and the second direction with plurality of photodiodes.

20. The image sensor of claim 17, further comprising:

an insulating layer covering the plurality of photodiodes and surrounding a sidewall of each of the plurality of back side contacts,

wherein the plurality of photodiodes is between the insulating layer and the interconnection, and

wherein the predetermined number of the plurality of photodiodes is four.