# US 2014/0151533 A1 · Solid-state imaging device, drive method thereof and electronic apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0151533 A1
- Document ID: US20140151533A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/082,832
- Filed: 2013-11-18
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2008-06-09
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Taiichiro Watanabe; Akihiro Yamada; Hideo Kido; Hiromasa Saito; Keiji Mabuchi; Yuko Ohgishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151533A1

## CPC

- H10F 39/158: {having arrangements for blooming suppression}
- H10F 39/1825: {Multicolour image sensors having stacked structure, e.g. NPN, NPNPN or multiple quantum well [MQW] structures}
- H10F 39/199: {Back-illuminated image sensors}
- H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes}
- H10F 39/813: {Electronic components shared by multiple pixels, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixels}
- H10F 39/1865: {Overflow drain structures}
- H10F 39/806: {Optical elements or arrangements associated with the image sensors}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes: plural photodiodes formed in different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate; and plural vertical transistors formed in the depth direction from one face side of the substrate so that gate portions for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plural photodiodes are formed in depths corresponding to the respective photodiodes.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-13. (canceled)

### Claim 14

A solid-state imaging device comprising:
a plurality of photodiodes located at different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate, the substrate having two oppositely facing faces;
a vertical transistor, the vertical transistor extending in a vertical direction from a first face of the substrate;
a gate electrode of the vertical transistor, wherein the gate electrode extends vertically to a depth corresponding to a depth of a deepest one of the photodiodes, and wherein the gate electrode extends through depths corresponding to each of the photodiodes;
an overflow path extending vertically and in contact with each of the photodiodes; and
a floating diffusion region at a surface of the first face of the substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of photodiodes consist of alternating layers of at least one first-conductive semiconductor layer and at least one second-conductive type semiconductor layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 14, wherein an upper portion of the transfer gate electrode protrudes from the first face of the substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 16, further comprising:
a floating diffusion, wherein the floating diffusion is formed on the first face of the substrate adjacent the upper portion of the transfer gate electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 14, wherein the vertical transistor is a transfer transistor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 18, wherein the transfer transistor is formed adjacent an end of the photodiodes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The solid-state imaging device of claim 14, wherein the device is a back-illuminated type device.

### Claim 21

A method for driving a solid-state imaging device, comprising:
forming a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of photodiodes located at different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate, the substrate having two oppositely facing faces;
forming a vertical transistor from a first face of the substrate so that a gate electrode portion for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plurality of photodiodes extends to depths corresponding to each of the photodiodes;
forming an overflow path in contact with each of the plurality of photodiodes;
forming a floating diffusion region at a surface of the first face of the substrate; and
reading signal charges accumulated in the plurality of photodiodes, wherein a first one of the plurality of photodiodes is saturated, and wherein charges exceeding the saturation charge amount of the at least one of the plurality of photodiodes are passed to another one of the plurality of photodiodes by the overflow path.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method for driving the solid-state imaging device of claim 21, wherein signal charges accumulated in any of the plurality of photodiodes are read out by the vertical transistor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method for driving the solid-state imaging device of claim 22, wherein each of the signal charges accumulated in the plurality of is read at the same time.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method for driving the solid-state imaging device of claim 22, wherein the signal charges are moved to the floating diffusion.

### Claim 25

An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an optical lens system;
a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of photodiodes located at different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate, the substrate having two oppositely facing faces, wherein the optical lens system directs incident light to the solid-state imaging device;
a vertical transistor, the vertical transistor extending in a vertical direction from a first face of the substrate;
a gate electrode of the vertical transistor, wherein the gate electrode extends vertically to a depth corresponding to a depth of a deepest one to the photodiodes, and wherein the gate electrode extends through depths corresponding to each of the photodiodes;
a floating diffusion region on a surface of the first face of the substrate;
an overflow path extending vertically and in contact with each of the photodiodes in the plurality of photodiodes; and
a signal processing device which processes output signals from the solid-state imaging device.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The electronic apparatus of claim 25, wherein the plurality of photodiodes consist of alternating layers of at least one first-conductive semiconductor layer and at least one second-conductive type semiconductor layer.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The electronic apparatus of claim 25, wherein an upper portion of the transfer gate electrode protrudes from the first face of the substrate.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The electronic apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:
a floating diffusion, wherein the floating diffusion is formed on the first face of the substrate adjacent the upper portion of the transfer gate electrode.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The electronic apparatus of claim 25, wherein the vertical transistor is a transfer transistor.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The electronic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the transfer transistor is formed at an end of the photodiodes.

### Claim 31 (depends on 25)

The electronic apparatus of claim 25, wherein the device is a back-illuminated type device.

### Claim 32 (depends on 25)

The electronic apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:
a multi-level wiring formed on a surface of the substrate.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The electronic apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:
a planarization film formed on a second face of the substrate opposite the first face on which the multi-level wiring is formed;
a color filter formed on the planarization film;
an on-chip lens formed on the color filter.