Pixel with spatially varying sensor positions

• US 7,728,271 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Silsby, Christopher D., Gazeley, William G., Borg, Matthew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko; Tony
• Application Number:
  US12/202,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20090057537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/214.1, 257/291, 257/184, 257/187, 257/203, 257/292, 257/293, 257/433, 257/461, 257/462, 257/929
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• 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 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14636 Interconnect structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14689 MOS based technologies

Abstract

An image sensor including a substrate, at least one metal layer, and a plurality of pixels arranged in array. Each pixel includes a sense element disposed in the substrate and at least one metal interconnect segment disposed in the at least one metal layer. The array includes a pair of perpendicular axes extending from an optical center, wherein for a line of pixels extending perpendicularly from one of the axes to a peripheral edge of the array a spacing between the sense elements of consecutive pairs of pixels of the line is at least equal to a spacing between the associated at least one metal interconnect segments, and wherein for at least one consecutive pair of pixels of the line the spacing between the sense elements is greater by an incremental amount than the spacing between the corresponding at least one metal interconnect segments.

Claims

1. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate;

at least a first metal layer disposed over the substrate; and

an array of pixels extending substantially in first and second directions and having an optical center, each pixel having a sense element disposed in the substrate for detecting incoming light and a plurality of associated first metal interconnect segments disposed in the first metal layer,

wherein for a line of consecutive pixels extending substantially in the first direction in a portion of the array of pixels;

(i) a first pitch between pairs of consecutive pixels of the line is at least a first distance and increases between consecutive pairs of pixels of the line towards a peripheral edge of the array,

(ii) a second pitch between the corresponding ones of the associated first metal interconnect segments is equal to the first distance, and

(iii) a dimension of each sense element of the line is uniformly increased in the first direction.

3. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein a pitch between sense elements of the consecutive pairs of pixels of the line is equal to the first pitch.

4. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein:

each pixel of the array of pixels includes an isolation region for isolating each respective pixel from an adjacent pixel; and

a pitch between isolation regions of the consecutive pairs of pixels of the line is equal to the first pitch.

2. An image sensor comprising:

a substrate;

at least a first metal aver disposed over the substrate; and

an array of pixels extending substantially in first and second directions and having an optical center, each pixel having a sense element disposed in the substrate and a plurality of associated first metal interconnect segments disposed in the first metal layer,

wherein for a line of consecutive pixels extending substantially in the first direction in a portion of the array of pixels;

(i) a first pitch between pairs of consecutive pixels of the line is at least a first distance and increases between consecutive pairs of pixels of the line towards a peripheral edge of the array and (ii) a second pitch between the corresponding ones of the associated first metal interconnect segments is equal to the first distance,

wherein the first pitch increases in distance between the consecutive pairs of pixels toward the peripheral edge of the array by a constant distance.