Apparatus and methods for sensing long wavelength light
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYun-Wei Cheng, Chun-Hao Chou, Kuo-Cheng Lee, Ying-Hao Chen
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for sensing long wavelength light are described herein. A semiconductor device includes: a carrier; a device layer on the carrier; a semiconductor layer on the device layer, and an insulation layer on the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer includes isolation regions and pixel regions. The isolation regions are or include a first semiconductor material. The pixel regions are or include a second semiconductor material that is different from the first semiconductor material.
Claims20
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a device layer having a plurality of devices formed therein;
- a semiconductor layer on the device layer, wherein:
- the semiconductor layer comprises a plurality of isolation regions and a plurality of pixel regions, and
- the plurality of pixel regions comprises a second semiconductor material that is different from the first semiconductor material;
- and
- an insulation layer on the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the insulation layer comprises silicon oxide to serve as a passivation layer for the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the plurality of devices are located entirely below a respective one of the plurality of isolation regions and positioned entirely outside the plurality of pixel regions,
- wherein the semiconductor layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface that is adjacent to the device layer, and
- wherein the second surface has a non-flat and periodic surface structure.
An image sensor, comprising:
- a device layer comprising at least one device;
- and
- a semiconductor layer on the device layer, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises a silicon region and a plurality of light sensing regions surrounded by the silicon region, wherein
- each of the plurality of light sensing regions comprises a same semiconductor material and a same doping material,
- doping concentrations of the plurality of light sensing regions are different from each other based on a predetermined design,
- wherein the at least one device is located below the silicon region without contacting the same semiconductor material in the plurality of light sensing regions,
- wherein the semiconductor layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface that is adjacent to the device layer, and
- wherein the second surface has a non-flat and periodic surface structure.
A method for forming an image sensor, comprising:
- forming a patterned structure on a first surface of an insulation layer;
- growing a first semiconductor material on the insulation layer to form a semiconductor layer on and in contact with the first surface of the insulation layer;
- etching the semiconductor layer to determine a plurality of etched regions in the semiconductor layer;
- growing a second semiconductor material in the plurality of etched regions to form a plurality of light sensing regions in the semiconductor layer;
- and
- forming a dielectric layer over the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the patterned structure of the first surface increases a quantum efficiency of the image sensor compared to a flat surface structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.