Elimination of glowing artifact in digital images captured by an image sensor
AssigneeOmniVision Technologies, Inc.
InventorsShen Wang, Robert P. Fabinski, Robert Kaser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A source/drain region of a transistor or amplifier is formed in a substrate layer and is connected to a voltage source. A glow blocking structure is formed at least partially around the source/drain region and is disposed between the source/drain region and an imaging array of an image sensor. A trench is formed in the substrate layer adjacent to and at least partially around the source/drain region. The glow blocking structure includes an opaque material formed in the trench and one or more layers of light absorbing material overlying the source/drain region and the opaque material.
Claims8
An image sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first layer overlying at least a portion of the substrate;
- a transistor having a source/drain region formed in the first layer, wherein the source/drain region is connected to a voltage source;
- a trench formed in at least the first layer adjacent to the source/drain region that is connected to the voltage source;
- and
- a glow blocking structure formed at least partially around the source/drain region connected to the voltage source, wherein the glow blocking structure is disposed between an imaging area of the image sensor and the source/drain region and includes an opaque material formed in the trench and one or more layers of light absorbing material overlying the source/drain region and the opaque material.
A method for fabricating a glow blocking structure adjacent a source/drain region of a transistor, wherein the source/drain region is connected to a voltage source, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a trench in a portion of a substrate layer, wherein the trench is adjacent a source/drain region of a transistor;
- forming an opaque structure in the trench;
- forming a first color filter layer over the transistor, the opaque structure, and portions of the substrate layer immediately adjacent to the trench;
- removing a portion of the first filter layer overlying the opaque structure;
- and
- forming a second color filter layer that is different from the first color filter layer over the first color filter layer and the opaque structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.