Low lag transfer gate device

• US 8,227,844 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adkisson, James W., Bryant, Andres, Ellis-Monaghan, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/013,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 257/292
• US Class Current: 257/292
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor

Abstract

A CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) cell structure includes at least one transfer gate device and method of operation. A first transfer gate device comprises a diodic or split transfer gate conductor structure having a first doped region of first conductivity type material and a second doped region of a second conductivity type material. A photosensing device is formed adjacent the first doped region for collecting charge carriers in response to light incident thereto, and, a diffusion region of a second conductivity type material is formed at or below the substrate surface adjacent the second doped region of the transfer gate device for receiving charges transferred from the photosensing device while preventing spillback of charges to the photosensing device upon timed voltage bias to the diodic or split transfer gate conductor structure.

Claims

1. An active pixel sensor (APS) cell structure comprising:

a substrate of a first conductivity type material;

a gate dielectric layer formed on the substrate;

a gate conductor structure formed on the gate dielectric layer, said gate conductor structure comprising a first doped region of first conductivity type material including an associated first transfer gate electrode and a second doped region of a second conductivity type material including an associated second transfer gate electrode, wherein the first doped region is in direct contact with the second doped region;

a photosensing device formed at or below a substrate surface adjacent said first doped region of said gate conductor structure for collecting charge carriers in response to light incident thereto;

a diffusion region of a second conductivity type material formed at or below said substrate surface adjacent said second doped region of said gate conductor structure , said gate conductor structure defining a channel region in said substrate enabling charge transfer between said photosensing device and said diffusion region, and

circuit device including separate conductors entirely physically and electrically isolated from one another to each of said first and second transfer gate electrodes to apply separate voltage signals to each said first and second transfer gate electrodes by direct electrical contact to each of the first and second doped regions, said voltage signals timed for transferring collected charge carriers from said photosensing device to said diffusion region while preventing spillback of charges to said photosensing device.

2. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photosensing device comprises a photodiode comprising:

a collection well of a second conductivity type material formed below said substrate surface; and

a pinning layer of said first conductivity type material formed atop the collection well at said substrate surface.

3. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said substrate, said pinning layer of said first conductivity type material, and said first doped region of said gate conductor layer of said transfer gate includes p-type dopant material.

4. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein said p-type dopant material comprises one of Boron or Indium.

5. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said collection well of said second conductivity type material, said diffusion region of second conductivity type material, and said second doped region of said gate conductor structure includes n-type dopant material.

6. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein said n-type dopant material comprises one of Phosphorus, Arsenic or Antimony.

7. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate conductor structure is a diode comprising said first doped region of first conductivity type material and said second doped region of a second conductivity type material.

8. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said diffusion region of said second conductivity type material is formed adjacent to and separated by a distance from said second doped region of said gate conductor structure.

9. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circuit device is adapted to:

apply a first voltage at said second transfer gate electrode to form a first inversion layer portion under the second transfer gate at a first time interval, and at a second time interval, apply a second voltage at said first transfer gate electrode to a level as the first voltage thereby extending the first inversion layer portion beneath the gate conductor structure, and at a third time interval, remove or decrease said voltage from the first transfer gate electrode to create a reverse biased diode comprising said first and second doped regions of said gate conductor structure thereby removing said inversion layer under the gate portion of first conductivity type while the inversion layer portion in the channel underlying said transfer gate portion of second conductivity type remains; and

, at a fourth time interval, remove or decrease said voltage from the second transfer gate electrode, to transfer all of the accumulated charge onto said floating diffusion region indicated as valid data at said fourth time interval.

10. An active pixel sensor (APS) cell structure comprising:

a substrate of a first conductivity type material;

a gate dielectric layer formed on the substrate;

a gate conductor structure formed on the gate dielectric layer, said gate conductor structure comprising a first doped region of first conductivity type material including an associated first transfer gate electrode and a second doped region of a second conductivity type material including an associated second transfer gate electrode, wherein the first doped region is in direct contact with the second doped region;

a photosensing device formed at or below a substrate surface adjacent said first doped region of said gate conductor structure for collecting charge carriers in response to light incident thereto, the photosensing device comprising a photodiode comprising a collection well of a second conductivity type material formed below said substrate surface, and a pinning layer of said first conductivity type material formed atop the collection well at said substrate surface, wherein an innermost end of the pinning layer relative to a center of the gate conductor structure, and an innermost end of the collection well relative to a center of the gate conductor structure is substantially aligned to a first sidewall of the gate conductor structure and is horizontally offset from an interface between the first doped region and the second doped region of the gate conductor structure;

a diffusion region of a second conductivity type material formed at or below said substrate surface adjacent said second doped region of said gate conductor structure, wherein an end of the diffusion region is substantially aligned to a second sidewall of the gate conductor structure and is horizontally offset from the interface between the first doped region and the second doped region of the gate conductor structure, said gate conductor structure defining a channel region in said substrate enabling charge transfer between said photosensing device and said diffusion region, and

a circuit device including a first conductor to a first transfer gate electrode and a second conductor to a second transfer gate electrode to deliver separate voltage signals to each said first and second transfer gate electrodes by direct electrical contact to each of the first and second doped regions, wherein the first conductor is electrically isolated and physically separated from the second conductor, said voltage signals timed for transferring collected charge carriers from said photosensing device to said diffusion region while preventing spillback of charges to said photosensing device.

11. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein said substrate, said pinning layer of said first conductivity type material, and said first doped region of said gate conductor structure includes p-type dopant material.

12. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein said collection well of said second conductivity type material, said diffusion region of second conductivity type material, and said second doped region of said gate conductor structure includes n-type dopant material.

13. The APS cell structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein said gate conductor structure is a diode comprising said first doped region of first conductivity type material and said second doped region of a second conductivity type material.