Photoelectric conversion device, method of manufacturing photoelectric conversion device, imaging system, and image reading apparatus

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged;
• and
• a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels,
• wherein the pixel region includes a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch,
• wherein the second arrangement pitch and the third arrangement pitch are smaller than the first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of micro-lenses, an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first region and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other is smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and
• wherein a width of a first element isolation region arranged between a photoelectric converter of the first pixel and a photoelectric converter of the second pixel is larger than a width of a second element isolation region arranged between respective photoelectric converters of the two pixels in the first region and a width of a third element isolation region arranged between respective photoelectric converters of the two pixels in the second region.

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged;
• and
• a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels,
• wherein the pixel region includes a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch,
• wherein the second arrangement pitch and the third arrangement pitch are smaller than the first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of micro-lenses, an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first region and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other is smaller than the first arrangement pitch,
• wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes an opening region defined by a metal layer used for taking an incident light into the photoelectric converter, and
• wherein a boundary of the first region and the second region is located between opening regions of pixels that are adjacent in the direction.

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged;
• and
• a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels,
• wherein the pixel region includes a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch,
• wherein the second arrangement pitch and the third arrangement pitch are smaller than the first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of micro-lenses, an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first region and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other is smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and
• wherein a length of a semiconductor substrate having the photoelectric converter is larger than 35 mm in the direction.

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged;
• and
• a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels,
• wherein the pixel region includes a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch,
• wherein the second arrangement pitch and the third arrangement pitch are smaller than the first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of micro-lenses, an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first region and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other is smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and
• wherein a length of the pixel region is larger than 33 mm in the direction.

A method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• performing a pattern exposure of the same layer by using separate photomasks on a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other to form a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter and a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels in a pixel region including the first region and the second region,
• wherein a photomask used for performing pattern exposure on the first region and a photomask used for performing pattern exposure on the second region are designed such that a pixel in the first region and a pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch that is smaller than the first arrangement pitch, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch that is smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and
• out of the plurality of micro-lenses, an arrangement pitch of two micro-lenses corresponding to the pixel in the first region and the pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other is smaller than the first arrangement pitch.

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

• a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric converter is arranged;
• and
• a plurality of micro-lenses each corresponding to each of the plurality of pixels,
• wherein the pixel region includes a first region and a second region that are adjacent to each other,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, a first pixel in the first region and a second pixel in the second region that are adjacent to each other in a direction in which the first region and the second region are aligned are arranged at a first arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the first region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a second arrangement pitch,
• wherein out of the plurality of pixels, two pixels in the second region that are adjacent to each other in the direction are arranged at a third arrangement pitch,
• wherein the second arrangement pitch and the third arrangement pitch are smaller than the first arrangement pitch, and
• wherein a width of a first element isolation region arranged between a photoelectric converter of the first pixel and a photoelectric converter of the second pixel is larger than a width of a second element isolation region arranged between respective photoelectric converters of the two pixels in the first region and a width of a third element isolation region arranged between respective photoelectric converters of the two pixels in the second region.