Solid-state imaging device and solid-state imaging device manufacturing method

• US 7,989,752 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokozawa, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn; Seung C
• Application Number:
  US12/698,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/214.1, 250/214.R, 257/432, 438/70
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14868 CCD or CID colour imagers

Abstract

A solid-state imaging device 1 includes: a semiconductor substrate 11 on which pixels are placed like a matrix; and each of the pixels having a photoelectric conversion element 13 and a color filter layer 21 which is formed on the photoelectric conversion element 13. The solid-state imaging device 1 includes resin parts 20 which are formed at the boundaries of these photoelectric conversion devices 13 which are adjacent to each other, each of the resin parts 20 having an upward convex shape. Each color filter layer 21 of the device is formed so that the color filter layer covers the area ranging from the summit of a resin part to the summit of an adjacent resin part, and each color filter layer 21 is thinner in the peripheral part than in the center part around the summit.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

pixels arranged in a matrix shape above a semiconductor substrate, each of said pixels having a photoelectric conversion element and a color filter layer which is formed above said photoelectric conversion element;

transfer electrodes formed above boundary areas between said photoelectric conversion elements which are adjacent to each other;

convex parts formed on said respective transfer electrodes; and

first transparent planarization films formed on said respective color filter layers,

wherein each of said color filter layers is formed so as to cover an area ranging from a summit of a corresponding one of said convex parts to a summit of an adjacent one of said convex parts, and

each of said color filter layers is formed so as to be thinner in peripheral parts above the summits of said respective convex parts than in a center part above an area between the summits of said convex parts.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein each of said first transparent planarization films is made of a material having a refractive index which is lower than a refractive index of each of said color filter layers.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

microlenses formed on said respective first transparent planarization films,

wherein each of said microlenses is made of a material having a refractive index which is higher than a refractive index of each of said first transparent planarization films.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3,

wherein each of said microlenses is made of a material having a refractive index which is higher than a refractive index of each of said color filter layers.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein each of said convex parts is formed to have a width smaller than a width of a corresponding one of said boundary areas.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said adjacent color filter layers are in contact with each other at the summit of a corresponding one of said convex parts.

7. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

pixels arranged in a matrix shape above a semiconductor substrate, each of said pixels having a photoelectric conversion element and a color filter layer which is formed above said photoelectric conversion element;

transfer electrodes formed above boundary areas between photoelectric conversion elements which are adjacent to each other; and

first transparent planarization films formed on said respective color filter layers,

wherein each of said color filter layers is formed so as to cover an area above a corresponding one of said photoelectric conversion elements and corresponding ones of said transfer electrodes which are adjacent and respectively arranged on opposite sides of said corresponding photoelectric conversion element,

each of said color filter layers is formed so as to be thinner in peripheral parts above said respective corresponding transfer electrodes than in a center part above the corresponding one of said photoelectric conversion elements, and

a bottom surface of said color filter layer is lowest above said photoelectric conversion element.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7,

wherein each of said first transparent planarization films is made of a material having a refractive index which is lower than a refractive index of each of said color filter layers.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising

microlenses formed on said respective first transparent planarization films,

wherein each of said microlenses is made of a material having a refractive index which is higher than a refractive index of each of said first transparent planarization films.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 9,

wherein each of said microlenses is made of a material having a refractive index which is higher than a refractive index of each of said color filter layers.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising convex parts formed on said respective transfer electrodes.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7,

wherein said adjacent color filter layers are in contact with each other above a corresponding one of said transfer electrodes.