# US 12,009,381 B2 · Solid-state imaging device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,381 B2 - Document ID: US12009381B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/595,529 - Filed: 2020-05-27 - Published: 2022-08-25 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-31 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Hironobu Fukui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009381B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures} - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/778: comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself - H10F 39/12: Image sensors - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/8037: {the integrated elements comprising a transistor} - H10F 39/811: {Interconnections} - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A solid-state imaging device includes a first semiconductor substrate, an isolation region, a charge holding section, and a charge accumulation section. The first semiconductor substrate is a substrate in which a photoelectric converter is provided for each of unit regions. The isolation region is provided to run through the first semiconductor substrate in a thickness direction and electrically isolates the unit regions from each other. The charge holding section is electrically coupled to the photoelectric converter and configured to receive signal charge from the photoelectric converter. The charge accumulation section is shared by two or more of the unit regions and is a section to which the signal charge is transferred from the photoelectric converter and the charge holding section of each of the unit regions sharing the charge accumulation section. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state imaging device, comprising: a first semiconductor substrate comprising a plurality of unit regions and a potential adjustment region; a photoelectric converter for each of the plurality of unit regions; an isolation region that runs through the first semiconductor substrate in a thickness direction of the first semiconductor substrate and is configured to electrically isolate the plurality of unit regions from each other; a charge holding section that is electrically coupled to the photoelectric converter and configured to receive signal charge from the photoelectric converter; and a charge accumulation section that is shared by at least two unit regions of the plurality of unit regions and to which the signal charge is transferred from the photoelectric converter, wherein the charge holding section of each of the plurality of unit regions shares the charge accumulation section, and a potential barrier between the photoelectric converter and the charge holding section is adjusted to be smaller than a potential barrier between the photoelectric converter and the charge accumulation section based on the potential adjustment region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer transistor configured to transfer the signal charge from the photoelectric converter to the charge accumulation section, wherein one of a source or a drain of the transfer transistor is coupled to the charge accumulation section, and another of the source or the drain is coupled to the charge holding section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the transfer transistor is for each of the plurality of unit regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the charge holding section includes an impurity diffusion region of a first conductivity type in the first semiconductor substrate, and the impurity diffusion region of the first conductivity type is in a portion of a diffusion layer of a second conductivity type of the first semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the charge holding section includes the impurity diffusion region having a comb-like plan shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the charge accumulation section is shared by two unit regions of the plurality of unit regions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the charge accumulation section is shared by four unit regions of the plurality of unit regions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the charge holding section is for each unit region of the plurality of unit regions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two unit regions of the plurality of unit regions sharing the charge accumulation section share the charge holding section. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising an output transistor electrically coupled to the charge accumulation section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 10, further comprising a second semiconductor substrate comprising the output transistor, wherein the second semiconductor substrate is on the first semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising: a multilayer wiring layer on a front surface of the first semiconductor substrate; and a light receiving lens on a back surface of the first semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 12, wherein the light receiving lens is over at least two unit regions of the plurality of unit regions sharing the charge accumulation section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising phase-difference detection pixels, wherein the charge accumulation section is for each of the phase-difference detection pixels.