SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20130020621A1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collabo Innovations, Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Makoto, Matsunaga, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,592,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/40 Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/616 involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/766 comprising control or output lines used for a plurality of functions, e.g. for pixel output, driving, reset or power
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

In each photosensitive cell, a photodiode 101, a transfer gate 102, a floating diffusion layer section 103, an amplifier transistor 104, and a reset transistor 105 are formed in one active region surrounded by a device isolation region. The floating diffusion layer section 103 included in one photosensitive cell is connected not to the amplifier transistor 104 included in that cell but to the gate of the amplifier transistor 104 included in another photosensitive cell adjacent to the one photosensitive cell in the column direction. A polysilicon wire 111 connects the transfer gates 102 arranged in the same row, and a polysilicon wire 112 connects the reset transistors 105 arranged in the same row. For connection in the row direction, only polysilicon wires are used.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. An imaging device formed in a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns, each photodiode for a given row of photodiodes formed in a corresponding active region of the semiconductor substrate;

a transfer gate disposed over the corresponding active region so as to define an associated photodiode on one side of the transfer gate and an associated floating diffusion element on another side of the transfer gate;

an amplifier transistor;

a reset transistor;

a first wire electrically connecting the associated floating diffusion element to a gate electrode of the amplifier transistor,

a first contact hole connected to a second wire disposed over the semiconductor substrate and being for receiving an output of a source of the amplifier transistor; and

a second contact hole connecting a drain of the reset transistor to a third wire disposed over the first semiconductor substrate,

wherein the amplifier transistor is formed in another active region which is separated from the corresponding active region where the associated floating diffusion element connected to the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor is formed,

the first wire is disposed in a column direction between the associated floating diffusion element and the gate electrode of the associated amplifier transistor, and

the first contact hole and the second contact hole are aligned substantially in the column direction.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8,

wherein the first wire includes a straight portion disposed in the column direction.

10. The imaging device according to claim 8,

wherein the first wire includes a portion disposed in a direction traversing column direction.

11. The imaging device according to claim 8,

wherein the first wire includes a straight portion disposed in a first column direction and another portion disposed in a direction traversing column direction, and

the straight portion is connected to the associated floating diffusion element.

12. The imaging device according to claim 8,

wherein transfer gates corresponding to adjacent photodiodes are formed by a continuous conducting material layer.

13. The imaging device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a third contact hole connecting the associated diffusion element to the first wire,

wherein the first, second, and third contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a fourth contact hole connecting the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor to the first wire.

15. The imaging device according to claim 14,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

16. The imaging device according to claim 14,

wherein the fourth contact hole is out of alignment with respect to the first, second, and third contact holes.

17. The imaging device according to claim 15,

wherein the amplifier transistor is arranged between adjacent photodiodes in a row direction.

18. The imaging device according to claim 15,

wherein the transfer gate and the reset transistor share a common drain.

19. The imaging device according to claim 15,

wherein the first wire is disposed in approximately a straight line between the associated floating diffusion element and the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor.

20. The imaging device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a fifth contact hole connected to a source of the reset transistor,

wherein the first, second, and fifth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

21. The imaging device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a fifth contact hole connected to a source of the reset transistor; and

a sixth contact hole connected, to supply an input to a drain of the amplifier transistor, to a third wire disposed over the first semiconductor substrate; and

wherein the first, fifth, and sixth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

22. An imaging device formed in a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns, each photodiode for a given row of photodiodes formed in a corresponding active region of the semiconductor substrate;

a transfer gate disposed over the corresponding active region so as to define an associated photodiode on one side of the transfer gate and an associated floating diffusion element on another side of the transfer gate;

an amplifier transistor;

a reset transistor;

a first wire electrically connecting the associated floating diffusion element to a gate electrode of the amplifier transistor,

a third contact hole connecting the associated diffusion element to the first wire; and

a sixth contact hole connected, to supply an input to a drain of the amplifier transistor, to a third wire disposed over the first semiconductor substrate;

wherein the amplifier transistor is formed in another active region which is separated from the corresponding active region where the associated floating diffusion element connected to the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor is formed,

the first wire is disposed in a column direction between the associated floating diffusion element and the gate electrode of the associated amplifier transistor, and

the third contact hole and the sixth contact hole are aligned substantially in the column direction.

23. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the first wire includes a straight portion disposed in the column direction.

24. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the first wire includes a portion disposed in a direction traversing column direction.

25. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the first wire includes a straight portion disposed in a first column direction and another portion disposed in a direction traversing column direction, and

the straight portion is connected to the associated floating diffusion element.

26. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein transfer gates corresponding to adjacent photodiodes are formed by a continuous conducting material layer.

27. The imaging device according to claim 22, further comprising:

a first contact hole connected to a second wire disposed over the semiconductor substrate and being for receiving an output of a source of the amplifier transistor; and

a second contact hole connecting a drain of the reset transistor to a third wire disposed over the first semiconductor substrate;

wherein the first, second, and third contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

28. The imaging device according to claim 27, further comprising:

a fourth contact hole connecting the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor to the first wire.

29. The imaging device according to claim 27,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

30. The imaging device according to claim 28,

wherein the fourth contact hole is out of alignment with respect to the first, second, and third contact holes.

31. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the amplifier transistor is arranged between adjacent photodiodes in a row direction.

32. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the transfer gate and the reset transistor share a common drain.

33. The imaging device according to claim 22,

wherein the first wire is disposed in approximately a straight line between the associated floating diffusion element and the gate electrode of the amplifier transistor.

34. The imaging device according to claim 22, further comprising:

a first contact hole connected to a second wire disposed over the semiconductor substrate and being for receiving an output of a source of the amplifier transistor;

a second contact hole connecting a drain of the reset transistor to a third wire disposed over the first semiconductor substrate; and

a fifth contact hole connected to a source of the reset transistor,

wherein the first, second, and fifth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.

35. The imaging device according to claim 22, further comprising:

a first contact hole connected, to receive an output of a source of the amplifier transistor, to a second wire disposed over the semiconductor substrate; and

a fifth contact hole connected to a source of the reset transistor;

wherein the first, fifth, and sixth contact holes are aligned substantially in a straight line.