# US 10,872,918 B2 · Optical isolation structure for reducing crosstalk between pixels and fabrication method thereof

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- Number: US 10,872,918 B2
- Document ID: US10872918B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/471,212
- Filed: 2017-03-28
- Published: 2018-10-04
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Po-Han Huang; Tzu-Hsiang Chen; Shih-Pei Chou; Jiech-Fun Lu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872918B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures}
- H10F 39/026: {Wafer-level processing}
- H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
- H10F 39/8037: {the integrated elements comprising a transistor}
- H10W 10/014: {using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations}
- H10W 10/17: formed using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

An optical isolation structure and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The optical isolation structure includes an epitaxial layer and a dielectric layer. The epitaxial layer and the dielectric layer are formed in a deep trench of a semiconductor substrate. The epitaxial layer covers a lower portion of sidewall of the trench, and the dielectric layer covers an upper portion of the sidewall of the trench. In the method for fabricating the optical isolation structure, at first, shallow trenches are formed in the semiconductor substrate. Then, the dielectric layer is formed in the shallow trenches. Thereafter, deep trenches are formed passing through the dielectric layers. Then, the epitaxial layer is formed in the deep trenches.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a deep trench filling material in a semiconductor substrate, wherein the deep trench filling material comprises an upper portion and a lower portion;
an epitaxial layer surrounding the lower portion of the deep trench filling material and contacting a bottom surface of the deep trench filling material, wherein the epitaxial layer is conductive; and
a dielectric layer surrounding and contacting the upper portion of the deep trench filling material, wherein an inner sidewall of the dielectric layer is aligned with an outer sidewall of the epitaxial layer, wherein the dielectric layer is in the semiconductor substrate and has a bottom surface in contact with the semiconductor substrate and higher than the bottom surface of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a width of the dielectric layer is progressively increasing along a direction from a top of the deep trench filling material to a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a width of the dielectric layer is progressively decreasing along a direction from a top of the deep trench filling material to a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the deep trench filling material is coplanar with a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein an entirety of the epitaxial layer is below the dielectric layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the inner sidewall of the dielectric layer is in contact with the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has a trapezoid cross-sectional shape.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of optical isolation structures disposed in the semiconductor substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions, wherein each of the optical isolation structures comprises:
a deep trench filling material in the semiconductor substrate;
an epitaxial layer surrounding a lower portion of a sidewall of the deep trench filling material, wherein the epitaxial layer is conductive; and
a dielectric layer in the semiconductor substrate and surrounding an upper portion of the sidewall of the deep trench filling material, wherein the epitaxial layer has a first portion extending along a bottom surface of the deep trench filling material and a second portion extending from the first portion along the sidewall of the deep trench filling material to a bottom surface of the dielectric layer but not beyond the bottom surface of the dielectric layer, and the bottom surface of the dielectric layer extends from a sidewall of the semiconductor substrate at least to an outer sidewall of the epitaxial layer without extending to an inner sidewall of the epitaxial layer;
a plurality of transfer gates disposed in the pixel regions; and
a contact coupled to one of the pixel regions between one of the transfer gates and one of the optical isolation structures.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the dielectric layer is formed from oxide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the deep trench filling material comprises poly-silicon.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the dielectric layer adjoins a surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein a width of the dielectric layer is progressively increasing along a direction from a top of the deep trench filling material to a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein a width of the dielectric layer is progressively decreasing along a direction from a top of the deep trench filling material to a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the outer sidewall of the epitaxial layer is in contact with the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 15

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a stepped sidewall that has an upper portion and a lower portion below and misaligned with the upper portion;
a deep trench filling material in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the deep trench filling material comprises an upper portion and a lower portion adjoining the upper portion, and the deep trench filling material is defined by a single piece of dielectric material that is continuous throughout;
an epitaxial layer surrounding the lower portion of the deep trench filling material, wherein the epitaxial layer is conductive; and
a plurality of dielectric layers surrounding the upper portion of the deep trench filling material, wherein bottom surfaces of the dielectric layers are lower than a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the deep trench filling material has a sidewall in contact with the epitaxial layer and the dielectric layers, the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate is in contact with one of the dielectric layers, and the lower portion of the semiconductor substrate is in contact with the epitaxial layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein a width of the deep trench filling material is progressively decreasing along a direction from a top of the deep trench filling material to a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the dielectric layers are formed from oxide.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the epitaxial layer further covers a bottom of the deep trench filling material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the epitaxial layer defines a lower trench in the lower portion of a trench structure formed in the semiconductor substrate, the dielectric layers define an upper trench on the lower trench, and the deep trench filling material fills the lower trench and the upper trench.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the dielectric layers sandwich an upper portion of the deep trench filling material, and the epitaxial layer wraps a lower portion of the deep trench filling material.