# US 10,121,805 B2 · Semiconductor structure and method for manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 10,121,805 B2
- Document ID: US10121805B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/454,610
- Filed: 2017-03-09
- Published: 2018-09-13
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-09
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Ming-Chyi Liu; Yu-Hsing Chang; Yung-Chang Chang; Shih-Chang Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121805B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/107: {having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays}
- H10F 39/011: {Manufacture or treatment of image sensors covered by group H10F39/12}
- H10F 39/199: {Back-illuminated image sensors}
- H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters}
- H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses}
- H10F 71/1212: {consisting of germanium}
- H10F 77/122: comprising only Group IV materials
- H10F 77/16: Material structures, e.g. crystalline structures, film structures or crystal plane orientations
- H10F 77/413: {directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42)}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor substrate includes: a front surface and a back surface; and a heterogeneous radiation-sensing region in the semiconductor substrate, the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region including a top surface, a bottom surface and sidewalls, the top surface being adjacent to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the sidewalls being perpendicular to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the bottom surface being parallel to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. An associated manufacturing method is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a front surface and a back surface; and
a heterogeneous radiation-sensing region in the semiconductor substrate, the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region including a top surface, a bottom surface, and sidewalls, the top surface being adjacent to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the sidewalls being perpendicular to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the bottom surface being parallel to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate;
wherein a facet of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to each of the sidewalls of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region is in <111> direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region includes a group III-V material or a group II-VI material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region includes germanium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate has a crystal orientation of (110).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein a facet of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the bottom surface of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region is in <110> direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region further includes surfaces formed at boundaries of the bottom surface and the sidewalls.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein a facet of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to a surface of each of the surfaces is in <100> direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein a depth of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region from the top surface to the bottom surface is greater than about 0 μm and less than about 10 μm.

### Claim 9

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a front surface and a back surface;
a color filter arranged over the back surface of the semiconductor substrate;
an optical lens arranged over the color filter; and
a heterogeneous radiation-sensing region in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate;
wherein the semiconductor substrate has a crystal orientation allowing a cavity with a sidewall perpendicular to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate to be formed when the semiconductor substrate is wet etched at the front surface;
wherein a facet of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to each of the sidewalls of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region is in <111> direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor structure of claim 9, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region is square shaped in plan view and includes a top surface, a bottom surface and four sidewalls, the top surface being adjacent to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the sidewalls being perpendicular to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the bottom surface being parallel to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor structure of claim 10, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region further includes surfaces formed at edges of the bottom surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor structure of claim 9, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region includes germanium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor structure of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor substrate has a crystal orientation of (110).

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The semiconductor structure of claim 11, wherein the bottom surface and a surface of each of the surfaces form an angle equal to 135 degrees.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor structure of claim 14, wherein an extended plane of the bottom surface, a surface of each of the surfaces, and an extended plane of each of the sidewalls form an isosceles triangle having a right angle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor structure of claim 10, wherein a depth of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region from the top surface to the bottom surface is in a range from about 1 μm to about 50 μm.

### Claim 17

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a front surface and a back surface;
a color filter arranged over the back surface of the semiconductor substrate;
an optical lens arranged over the color filter; and
a heterogeneous radiation-sensing region in the semiconductor substrate at the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and sidewalls of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region being perpendicular to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate;
wherein a facet of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to each of the sidewalls of the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region is in <111> direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The semiconductor structure of claim 17, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region includes germanium.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The semiconductor structure of claim 17, wherein the heterogeneous radiation-sensing region includes a group III-V material or a group II-VI material.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The semiconductor structure of claim 17, wherein the semiconductor substrate has a crystal orientation of (110).