Integrated photoserver for CMOS imagers

• US 20060043438A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holm, Paige, Candelaria, Jon J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,214,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/291
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76898 formed through a semiconductor substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/481 Internal lead connections, e.g. via connections, feedthrough structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1464 Back illuminated imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1469 Assemblies, i.e. hybrid integration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

An exemplary system and method for providing an integrated photosensing element suitably adapted for use in CMOS imaging applications is disclosed as comprising inter alia: a processed CMOS host wafer (460) bonded with a monocrystalline, optically active donor wafer (300); a photosensing element (390) integrated in said optically active donor wafer (300) having an interconnect via (505, 495, 485) substantially decoupled from the photosensing element (390), wherein the host (460) and donor (300) wafers are bonded through the optically active material in a region disposed near a metalization surface (450, 455, 445) of the CMOS layer (460) in order to allow fabrication of the interconnect (505, 495, 485). Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, configured, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to further improve or otherwise optimize photosensing performance or other material characteristics. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention representatively provide for integrated photosensing components that may be readily incorporated with existing technologies for the improvement of CMOS imaging, device package form factors, weights and/or other manufacturing, device or material performance metrics.

Claims

1. An electronics-based imaging component, said component comprising:

a processed electronics layer;

a photosensing element having an interconnect via, said photosensing element fabricated in an integrated optically active layer;

said photosensing element substantially decoupled from said interconnect via;

said optically active layer bonded to said electronics layer; and

said optically active layer positionally disposed relative to a metalization surface of said electronics layer so as to effectively permit fabrication of said interconnect via.

2. The imaging component of claim 1, wherein said processed electronics layer is substantially fully processed and said decoupling comprises at least one of physical and mechanical decoupling.

3. The imaging component of claim 1, wherein said photosensing element comprises at least one of a photodiode, a photomultiplier, a phototransistor, and a photoconductor.

4. The imaging component of claim 1, wherein said optically active, monocrystalline layer comprises at least one of Si, GaAs, InP, GaN, HgCdTe, a-Si, p-Si, x-Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, a monocrystalline material, a polycrystalline material and an amorphous material.

5. The imaging component of claim 1, wherein said bonding comprises at least one of wafer-to-wafer bonding and die-to-wafer bonding.

6. The imaging component of claim 1, wherein said interconnect comprises at least one metallized via.

7. An electronics-based imaging component array, said component array comprising:

a processed electronics array layer;

a photosensing element array having a plurality of interconnect vias, said photosensing element array fabricated in an integrated optically active layer;

the photosensing elements of said photosensing element array substantially decoupled from said interconnect vias;

said optically active layer comprising a monocrystalline material, said optically active layer bonded to said electronics layer; and

said optically active layer positionally disposed relative to a metalization surface of said electronics layer so as to effectively permit fabrication of said plurality of interconnect vias.

8. The imaging component array of claim 7 having a relatively high interconnect density.

9. The imaging component array of claim 8, wherein said high interconnect density comprises about one connection per 10-100 square microns.

10. The imaging component array of claim 7, wherein said interconnects comprise a plurality of metallized vias.

11. The imaging component array of claim 7, wherein the photosensing element fill factor is up to about 75%.

12. The imaging component array of claim 7, wherein the photosensing element fill factor is greater than 75%.

13. The imaging component array of claim 12, wherein the photosensing element fill factor is up to about 100%.

14. The imaging component array of claim 7, wherein the CMOS circuitry is optimized for substantial parallel processing of array-captured images.

15. The imaging component array of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of vertically integrated optically active layers.

16. The imaging component array of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of vertically integrated electronics layers.

17. The imaging component array of claim 7, wherein said optically active, monocrystalline layer comprises at least one of Si, GaAs, InP, GaN, HgCdTe, a-Si, p-Si, x-Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, a monocrystalline material, a polycrystalline material and an amorphous material.

18. A CMOS-based imaging component array, said component array comprising:

a plurality of processed CMOS array layers;

a plurality of photosensing element arrays having a plurality of interconnect vias, said photosensing element arrays fabricated in a plurality of integrated optically active layers;

said plurality of photosensing elements substantially decoupled from said plurality of interconnect vias;

said optically active layers bonded to said CMOS layers; and

said optically active layers each positionally disposed relative to at least one metalization surface of said CMOS layers so as to effectively permit fabrication of said plurality of interconnect vias.

19. The imaging component array of claim 18, wherein different optically active layers are suitably adapted to demonstrate sensitivity to different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

20. The imaging component array of claim 18, wherein said optically active, monocrystalline layers comprise at least one of Si, GaAs, InP, GaN, HgCdTe, a-Si, p-Si, x-Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, a monocrystalline material, a polycrystalline material and an amorphous material.