Deuterium alloy process for image sensors

• US 20060148120A1
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Rhodes, Howard E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,253,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14689 MOS based technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

Abstract

A method of alloying an image sensor is disclosed. The method comprises forming various semiconductor devices in a semiconductor substrate. Then, an insulator layer is formed over the semiconductor devices. Finally, deuterium gas is used to alloy said image sensor after the insulator oxide layer has been formed and prior to formation of contact holes in the insulator oxide layer.

Claims

1. In a method of manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, a method of alloying the CMOS image sensor comprising:

forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate, said pixel array formed from photodiodes;

forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;

forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;

forming an insulator layer over said photodiodes and semiconductor devices; and

using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor after said insulator oxide layer has been formed and prior to formation of contact holes in said insulator oxide layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said deuterium alloy is performed in a deuterium and nitrogen atmosphere with deuterium being between 5% to 100% of the atmosphere and temperature between 300 to 900°

C.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. In a process for manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, a method of alloying the CMOS image sensor comprising:

forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate, said pixel array formed from photodiodes;

forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;

forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;

forming an insulator layer over said photodiodes and semiconductor devices;

forming contact holes in said insulator layer; and

using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor after said insulator oxide layer has been formed and prior to formation of contact plugs in said contact holes.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said deuterium alloy is performed in a deuterium and nitrogen atmosphere with deuterium being between 5% to 100% of the atmosphere and temperature between 300 to 900°

C.

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A method of alloying an image sensor comprising:

forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate;

forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;

forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;

forming an insulator layer over said pixel array and semiconductor devices;

forming contact holes in said insulator layer;

forming contact plugs in said contact holes; and

using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor after said contact plugs have been formed and prior to deposition of a metal interconnect layer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said pixel array includes photosensitive elements chosen from the group of a photodiode, partially pinned photodiode, pinned photodiode, photogate, or photocapacitor.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said deuterium alloy is performed in a deuterium and nitrogen atmosphere with deuterium being between 5% to 100% of the atmosphere and temperature between 300 to 900°

C.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said image sensor is a CCD or CMOS image sensor.

13-16. -16. (canceled)