# US 10,121,821 B2 · Biased backside illuminated sensor shield structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,821 B2 - Document ID: US10121821B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/477,976 - Filed: 2017-04-03 - Published: 2017-07-20 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-15 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Shyh-Fann Ting; Feng-Chi Hung; Jhy-Jyi Sze; Ching-Chun Wang; Dun-Nian Yaung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121821B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/018: {of hybrid image sensors} - H10F 39/024: {of coatings or optical elements} - H10F 39/199: {Back-illuminated image sensors} - H10F 39/805: {Coatings} - H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding} - H10F 39/809: {of hybrid image sensors} - H10F 39/811: {Interconnections} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract Presented herein is a device including an image sensor having a plurality of pixels disposed in a substrate and configured to sense light through a back side of the substrate and an RDL disposed on a front side of the substrate and having a plurality of conductive elements disposed in one or more dielectric layers. A sensor shield is disposed over the back side of the substrate and extending over the image sensor. At least one via contacts the sensor shield and extends from the sensor shield through at least a portion of the RDL and contacts at least one of the plurality of conductive elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a device, the method comprising: providing a sensor die having photosensitive regions disposed in a substrate and a first redistribution layer (RDL) structure formed on a front side of the substrate, the first RDL structure having first conductive elements disposed therein, wherein the photosensitive regions are configured to detect light through a back side of the substrate; providing an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) die, the ASIC die having a second RDL structure with second conductive elements disposed therein; bonding the sensor die to the ASIC die by bonding the first RDL structure to the second RDL structure; forming at least one via opening extending from the back side of the substrate through the first RDL structure and into the second RDL structure, the at least one via opening exposing at least one second conductive element; forming at least one via in the at least one via opening and contacting the at least one second conductive element; and forming a sensor shield over the back side of the substrate, the sensor shield extending over the photosensitive regions and contacting the at least one via, the sensor shield having openings over the photosensitive regions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a cap layer over the back side of the substrate, the cap layer having at least one opening disposed over the at least one via, wherein the forming the sensor shield comprises forming the sensor shield over the cap layer, at least one connector portion of the sensor shield extending through the at least one opening and contacting the at least one via. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one via comprises two or more vias; wherein the cap layer has two or more openings; and wherein each of two or more connector portions of the sensor shield extend through respective ones of the two or more openings to contact a respective one of the two or more vias. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one via comprises two or more vias; and wherein a connector portion of the sensor shield extends through an opening in the cap layer to contact the two or more vias. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a mounting pad opening, the mounting pad opening extending to the at least one second conductive element; and forming a mounting pad in the mounting pad opening. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein forming the mounting pad opening is performed after forming the sensor shield. ### Claim 7 A method of forming a device, the method comprising: forming a first opening through a first substrate, the first substrate having a photosensitive region, the photosensitive region comprising a plurality of pixels, the first substrate having first metallization layers on a first side, the first substrate being bonded to a second substrate, the second substrate having second metallization layers on a first side of the second substrate, the first metallization layers and the second metallization layers being interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; forming an isolation layer on a second side of the first substrate and along sidewalls of the first opening; forming a second opening through the isolation layer and to a first conductive element in the second metallization layers; forming a first conductive material in the first opening and the second opening, thereby forming a first via; forming a cap layer over the isolation layer on the second side of the first substrate; patterning the cap layer to expose the first via; forming a conductive layer over the cap layer, the conductive layer extending through the cap layer to the first via; and patterning the conductive layer and the cap layer to form a grid over the photosensitive region and a connector over the first via. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein forming the first opening comprises forming the first opening to extend completely through the first substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein forming the second opening comprises etching the second opening in a bottom of the first opening to expose a second conductive element in the first metallization layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: after forming the cap layer, forming a third opening, the third opening exposing a third conductive element; and filling the third opening with a second conductive material, the second conductive material in the third opening being electrically coupled to the first via. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the third conductive element and the first conductive element are a same conductive element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: forming a second via extending through the first substrate, wherein after patterning the conductive layer, remaining portions of the conductive layer electrically couple the first via to the second via. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the patterning the cap layer comprises forming a first cap opening exposing the first via and a second cap opening exposing the second via, and wherein the conductive layer extends through the first opening and the second opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first opening and the second opening are along a periphery of the photosensitive region. ### Claim 15 A method of forming a device, the method comprising: forming a first opening and a second opening through a first substrate, the first substrate having a photosensitive region, the photosensitive region comprising a plurality of pixels; forming an isolation layer on a backside of the first substrate and along sidewalls of the first opening and the second opening; forming a third opening and a fourth opening through the isolation layer along a bottom of the first opening and the second opening, respectively, the third opening and the fourth opening exposing a first conductive element, the first substrate being interposed between the isolation layer and the first conductive element; forming a first via in the first opening and a second via in the second opening; forming a cap layer over the isolation layer on the backside of the first substrate; patterning the cap layer to expose the first via and the second via; forming a conductive layer over the cap layer, the conductive layer extending through the cap layer to the first via and the second via; and patterning the conductive layer and the cap layer to form a grid over the photosensitive region and a connector over the first via and the second via. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: forming a mounting pad opening in the first substrate; forming one or more fifth openings extending from a bottom of the mounting pad opening to a second conductive element; and forming a conductive material in the one or more fifth openings, thereby forming a mounting pad. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first conductive element and the second conductive element are a same conductive element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first conductive element is coupled to a ground node. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first conductive element is coupled to a bias voltage node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein after forming the conductive layer, a portion of the cap layer remains between the first via and the second via in a plan view.