# US 12,218,164 B2 · Semiconductor image-sensing structure and method for forming the same

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- Number: US 12,218,164 B2
- Document ID: US12218164B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/587,262
- Filed: 2022-01-28
- Published: 2023-08-31
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-01-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
- Inventors: Ming-Hsien Yang; Wen-I Hsu; Kuan-Fu Lu; Feng-Chi Hung; Jen-Cheng Liu; Dun-Nian Yaung; Chun-Hao Chou; Kuo-Cheng Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12218164B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/8057: {Optical shielding}
- H10F 39/024: {of coatings or optical elements}
- H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures}
- H10F 39/811: {Interconnections}
- H10F 39/182: {Colour image sensors}
- H10F 39/8023: {Disposition of the elements in pixels, e.g. smaller elements in the centre of the imager compared to larger elements at the periphery}
- H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A semiconductor image sensing structure includes a substrate having a first region and a second region, a metal grid in the first region, and a hybrid metal shield in the second region. The hybrid metal shield includes a first metallization layer, a second metallization layer disposed over the first metallization layer, a third metallization layer disposed over the second metallization layer, and a fourth metallization layer disposed over the third metallization layer. An included angle of the second metallization layer is between approximately 40° and approximately 60°.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor image-sensing structure, comprising:
a substrate having a first region and a second region;
a metal grid in the first region; and
a hybrid metal shield in the second region, wherein the hybrid metal shield comprises:
a first metallization layer:
a second metallization layer disposed over the first metallization layer:
a third metallization layer disposed over the second metallization layer; and
a fourth metallization layer disposed over the third metallization layer,
wherein an included angle of the second metallization layer is between approximately 10° and approximately 80°.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the metal grid is less than a thickness of the hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 1, wherein the first metallization layer and the third metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield comprise a first material, and the second metallization layer and the fourth metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield comprise a second material different from the first material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 1, wherein the metal grid comprises a fifth metallization layer and a sixth metallization layer, the fifth metallization layer of the metal grid and the third metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield comprise a same material, and the sixth metallization layer of the metal grid and the fourth metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield comprise a same material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 4, wherein a thickness of the fifth metallization layer of the metal grid is similar to a thickness of the third metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield, and a thickness of the sixth metallization layer of the metal grid is similar to a thickness of the fourth metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 1, wherein a sum of a thickness of the first metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield and a thickness of the second metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield is similar to a sum of a thickness of the third metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield and a thickness of the fourth metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 1, wherein a sum of a thickness of the first metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield and a thickness of the second metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield is greater than a sum of a thickness of the third metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield and a thickness of the fourth metallization layer of the hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor image-sensing structure, comprising:
a substrate having a first region and a second region;
a metal grid in the first region; and
a hybrid metal shield in the second region, wherein the hybrid metal shield comprises:
a first metal stack; and
a second metal stack disposed over the first metal stack,
wherein a thickness of the metal grid is equal to or less than a thickness of the first metal stack.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 8, wherein the first metal stack comprises a first metallization layer and a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer, and the second metal stack comprises a third metallization layer over the first metal stack and a fourth metallization layer over the third metallization layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 9, wherein the second metallization layer has an included angle, and the included angle is between approximately 40° and approximately 60°.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 9, wherein the first metallization layer of the first metal stack and the third metallization layer of the second metal stack comprise a first material, and the second metallization layer of the first metal stack and the fourth metallization layer of the second metal stack comprise a second material different from the first material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 11, wherein the metal grid comprises a fifth metallization layer and a sixth metallization layer over the fifth metallization layer, the fifth metallization layer comprises the first material, and the sixth metallization layer comprises the second material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 8, wherein the thickness of the metal grid is similar to a thickness of the second metal stack.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor image-sensing structure of claim 8, wherein a thickness of the second metal stack is equal to or less than the thickness of the first metal stack.

### Claim 15

A method for forming a semiconductor image-sensing structure, comprising:
receiving a substrate having a first region and a second region defined thereon;
forming a first metal stack over the substrate in the second region, wherein the first metal stack has an included angle between approximately 40° and approximately 60°; and
simultaneously forming a metal grid in the first region and a second metal stack in the second region, wherein the first metal stack and the second metal stack form a hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the forming of the first metal stack comprises:
forming a first metallization layer over the substrate:
forming a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer; and
removing portions of the first metallization layer and portions of the second metallization layer from the first region to form the first metal stack in the second region,
wherein the first metallization layer comprises a first material, the second metallization layer comprises a second material different from the first material, and a thickness of the first metallization layer is different from a thickness of the second metallization layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the forming of the metal grid and the second metal stack comprises:
forming a third metallization layer over the substrate and the first metal stack;
forming a fourth metallization layer over the third metallization layer; and
removing portions of the third metallization layer and portions of the fourth metallization layer to form the metal grid in the first region and the second metal stack in the second region,
wherein the third metallization layer comprises the first material, the fourth metallization layer comprises the second material, and a thickness of the third metallization layer is different from a thickness of the fourth metallization layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein a thickness of the metal grid is similar to a thickness of the first metal stack.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
forming at least a protecting layer over the metal grid and the hybrid metal shield; and
forming a dielectric grid over the metal grid to form a hybrid grid and a dielectric stack over the hybrid metal shield.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein a cross-sectional view of the dielectric grid has a bottle configuration.