Semiconductor image sensor and method for fabricating the same

• US 20070029582A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collabo Innovations, Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Toshiyuki, Minamio, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,745,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14683 Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof not peculiar thereto H01L21/00
• 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

A semiconductor image sensor includes: a semiconductor imaging element including an imaging area, a peripheral circuit area, and an electrode area; cylindrical electrodes provided on electrode terminals so as to be electrically connected with an external device; and a transparent resin layer provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor imaging element. The upper surface of each cylindrical electrode and the upper surface of the transparent resin layer are substantially of the same height.

Claims

1. A semiconductor image sensor, which is connected with an external device when the sensor is used, the sensor comprising:

a semiconductor imaging element including an imaging area for detecting light, a peripheral circuit area, and an electrode area in which electrode terminals are formed;

a transparent resin layer formed on a circuit-formation surface of the semiconductor imaging element; and

cylindrical electrodes formed on the electrode terminals, having an upper surface existing in the same plane as an upper surface of the transparent resin layer, and provided for connection with the external device.

2. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising antireflection films provided on side faces of the cylindrical electrodes.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the transparent resin layer is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin, acrylic resin, and polyimide resin.

4. A semiconductor image sensor, comprising:

a semiconductor imaging element including an imaging area for detecting light, a peripheral circuit area, and an electrode area in which electrode terminals are formed; and

a transparent sheet bonded at least to the imaging area with a transparent adhesive member interposed therebetween.

5. The sensor of claim 4, further comprising a first antireflection film provided on side faces of the transparent sheet.

6. The sensor of claim 4, further comprising a glass substrate provided on or above the transparent sheet.

7. The sensor of claim 6, comprising a second antireflection film provided at least on side faces of the transparent sheet and on side faces of the glass substrate.

8. The sensor of claim 6, wherein the adhesive member and the transparent sheet are both made of material whose refractive index is lower than that of the glass substrate.

9. A method for fabricating a semiconductor image sensor, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming cylindrical electrodes on a semiconductor imaging element array, in which a plurality of semiconductor imaging elements each including electrode terminals are formed, the cylindrical electrodes being formed on the electrode terminals;

(b) forming a transparent resin layer having a thickness that allows at least the cylindrical electrodes to be buried in the transparent resin layer;

(c) polishing the transparent resin layer so that an upper surface of each cylindrical electrode and an upper surface of the transparent resin layer are of the same height; and

(d) dicing the semiconductor imaging element array into individual pieces, in each of which one of the semiconductor imaging elements is formed.

10. The method claim 9, further comprising:

the step (e) of forming an antireflection film on an exposed surface of each cylindrical electrode between the step (a) and the step (b),

wherein in the step (c) the transparent resin layer is polished until the upper surface of each cylindrical electrode is exposed.

11. A method for fabricating a semiconductor image sensor, comprising the steps of:

(a) bonding a transparent sheet array having grooves formed therein to a circuit-formation surface of a semiconductor imaging element array, in which a plurality of semiconductor imaging elements each including electrode terminals are formed, in such a manner that the electrode terminals are located inside the grooves, the grooves being formed in portions in the transparent sheet array that correspond to regions in which the electrode terminals are formed;

(b) polishing the transparent sheet array until the bottom of each groove is reached, thereby forming a transparent sheet on each of the semiconductor imaging elements; and

(c) dicing the semiconductor imaging element array into individual pieces, in each of which one of the semiconductor imaging elements is formed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an antireflection film is formed on inner walls of the grooves in the transparent sheet array used in the step (a);

and

in the step (b), part of the antireflection film located on the bottom of each groove is polished.