Solid-state imaging device, production method of the same, and imaging apparatus

An imaging device, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, as a light incident side;
• a plurality of transistors disposed at the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
• first and second neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• third and fourth light neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• wherein:
• the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions share at least one first shared transistor from the plurality of transistors;
• the plurality of transistors comprises first, second, third and fourth transfer transistors associated with the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth transfer transistors coupled to a first floating diffusion shared by the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions;
• the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a first row;
• the third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a second row parallel to and adjacent the first row;
• the first floating diffusion is disposed between the first and second rows so as to be surrounded by the first, second, third, and fourth photoelectric conversion regions;
• the at least one first shared transistor comprises a first amplification transistor coupled to the first floating diffusion so as to allow a signal corresponding to a potential of the first floating diffusion to be output to a signal line;
• the imaging device further comprises a fifth photoelectric conversion region disposed in the semiconductor substrate and neighboring the first photoelectric conversion region;
• and
• a portion of the first amplification transistor is located between the first and fifth photoelectric conversion regions.

An imaging device, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, as a light incident side;
• a plurality of transistors disposed at the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
• first and second neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• third and fourth light neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• wherein:
• the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions share at least one first shared transistor from the plurality of transistors;
• the plurality of transistors comprises first, second, third and fourth transfer transistors associated with the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth transfer transistors coupled to a first floating diffusion shared by the first, second, third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions;
• the first and second photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a first row;
• the third and fourth photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a second row parallel to and adjacent the first row;
• the first floating diffusion is disposed between the first and second rows so as to be surrounded by the first, second, third, and fourth photoelectric conversion regions;
• the at least one first shared transistor comprises:
• a first reset transistor positioned to allow charge to be selectively discharged from the first floating diffusion to a circuit node;
• a first amplification transistor coupled to the first floating diffusion so as to allow a signal corresponding to a potential of the first floating diffusion to be output to a signal line;
• and
• a first select transistor positioned to selectively enable operation of the first amplification transistor;
• and
• the first reset transistor, the first amplification transistor, and the first select transistor are disposed in a third row parallel to and adjacent the second row;
• fifth and sixth neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• seventh and eighth neighboring photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the semiconductor substrate;
• wherein:
• the plurality of transistors further comprises fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth transfer transistors associated with the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth photoelectric conversion regions, respectively, the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth transfer transistors coupled to a second floating diffusion shared by the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth photoelectric conversion regions;
• the fifth and sixth photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a fourth row parallel to and adjacent the third row;
• the seventh and eighth photoelectric conversion regions are arranged in a fifth row parallel to and adjacent the fourth row;
• the second floating diffusion is disposed between the fourth and fifth rows so as to be surrounded by the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth photoelectric conversion regions;
• and
• the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth photoelectric conversion regions share at least one second shared transistor from the plurality of transistors.