Imager light shield

An integrated circuit containing at least one CMOS pixel sensor cell, said pixel sensor cell comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• a photosensor within said substrate;
• a transistor gate over said substrate for gating charges produced by said photosensor;
• a light-blocking film over said substrate and said transistor gate, but under all conductive interconnect layers of said integrated circuit, wherein said light-blocking film has an opening over said photosensor;
• and
• a first conductive interconnect layer over said light-blocking film.

An imager system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• an imaging device electrically coupled to said processor, said imaging device comprising a CMOS pixel array, at least one pixel of said array comprising:
• a pixel photoconversion device;
• pixel circuitry in electrical communication with said pixel photoconversion device;
• a light shield layer, said light shield layer provided over said pixel circuitry and having a light transmission area over said photoconversion device;
• and
• at least one interconnect layer, all said interconnect layers being provided over said light shield.

A CMOS imager device, comprising:

• a pixel array having a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels having pixel circuitry in electrical communication with a photoconversion device and a light shield provided between said pixel circuitry and any metal interconnect layers, said light shield having a light transmission area over said photoconversion device, wherein an electrical signal flow is generated by said pixel array in response to photo-input;
• a read-out circuit configured to receive said electrical signal flow from said pixel array;
• an analog-to-digital conversion device configured to receive said electrical signal flow from said read-out circuit;
• a processor configured to receive said electrical signal flow from said analog-to-digital device;
• and
• a serializer configured to receive said electrical signal flow from said processor.

A method of forming a pixel of an imager device, comprising:

• forming a photoconversion device in a substrate;
• forming a light shield over said substrate, said light shield being configured to allow light to pass to said photoconversion device;
• and
• forming at least one metal interconnect layer over said light shield, wherein all said formed metal interconnect layers are formed over said light shield.

A method of forming a CMOS imager pixel array, comprising:

• forming an array of CMOS pixels isolated from one another within and on a substrate, each of said CMOS pixels being formed by the acts of:
• forming a photodiode within said substrate;
• forming a first dielectric layer over said photodiode;
• forming a light shield layer over said dielectric layer;
• forming an aperture in said light shield layer above at least a portion of said photodiode;
• and
• forming a plurality of metal interconnect layers over said light shield.