Solid state imaging device having a plurality of signal lines for shift-register section extending over photoelectric conversion section

• US 5,537,146 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tohyama, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBER, WENDY RAE
• Application Number:
  US08/359,862
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 348/322, 348/315, 348/311, 348/294, 257/228, 257/232, 257/220
• US Class Current: 348/311
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14812 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An inter-line, back-illuminated, solid state imaging device having a large active area. Metal signal lines providing driving signals to gate electrodes of vertical CCD shift-registers are disposed in front of radiation sensors. The metal signal lines can serve as metal mirrors for increasing the amount of usable radiation. At the gap portion of the metal signal lines, a second metal mirror can be provided. Alternatively, the dimension of the gap is smaller than the lowest wavelength of the band wavelength of the radiation to be detected. When a metal mirror is provided separately form the metal signal line group, the metal mirror can serve as a shield of the photoelectric conversion layer from the driving signal.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

.

a semiconductor substrate having a back side for receiving radiation and a front side opposite to said back side;

a radiation sensor section formed on said front side, said radiation sensor section including a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions arranged to accumulate signal charges generated by radiation;

a shift-register section formed on said front side adjacent and parallel to said radiation sensor section and including a channel formed in said front side of said substrate for receiving said signal charges from said photoelectric conversion regions of said radiation sensor section and for shifting said signal charges through said shift-register section;

an insulating layer formed on said front side to cover said radiation sensor section and said shift-register section, said insulating layer having a plurality of contact holes formed therein;

a plurality of transfer gates formed in said insulating layer for transferring said signal charges accumulated by said photoelectric conversion regions to said shift-register section;

a plurality of gate electrodes formed in said insulating layer, a selected one of said gate electrodes being arranged adjacent to each of said transfer gates for controlling said transferring of said signal charges from said photoelectric conversion regions to said shift-register section; and

a plurality of signal lines formed on said insulating layer, extending in front of and isolated from said photoelectric conversion regions, each of said signal lines being connected to an associated one of said gate electrodes through an associated one of said contact holes.

2. The imaging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate electrodes are larger in number than said photoelectric conversion regions so that a plurality of said signal lines cross over each of said photoelectric conversion regions in parallel to each other.

3. The imaging device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a first metal mirror disposed in front of said radiation sensor section, said first metal mirror being supplied to shield said radiation sensor section.

4. The imaging device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a radiation sensor formation portion formed on said front side of said semiconductor substrate and divided into a plurality of first parts arranged in parallel to one another, each having at least one of said radiation sensor sections formed therein; and

a shift-register formation portion formed on said front side of said semiconductor substrate and divided into a plurality of second parts each disposed between adjacent ones of said first parts and having at least one of said shift-register sections formed therein.

5. The imaging device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said signal lines extending in front of said radiation sensor section serve as said first metal mirror.

6. A solid-state imaging device as defined in claim 5 further comprising a second metal mirror disposed at least at a gap portion between adjacent ones of said signal lines above said radiation sensor, with an insulation film disposed between said second metal mirrors and adjacent ones of said signal lines.

7. A solid-state imaging device as defined in claim 5 wherein said signal lines are so disposed that a dimension of a gap between two adjacent said ones of said signal lines disposed above said radiation sensor is less than a lowest wavelength of band wavelength of radiation to be detected.