Back to results
US 2017/0287955 A1Published application
Photoelectric conversion apparatus and camera
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNobutaka Ukigaya, Hideshi Kuwabara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes an element isolating portion that is disposed on a side of a front surface of a semiconductor layer and constituted by an insulator, and a pixel isolating portion. The pixel isolating portion includes a part that overlaps an isolating region in a normal direction. The semiconductor layer is continuous across semiconductor regions in an intermediate plane. The part is located between a semiconductor region and another semiconductor region.
Claims20
A photoelectric conversion apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface;
- a first isolating portion disposed on a side of the first surface, the first isolating portion being constituted by an insulator;
- and
- a second isolating portion disposed so as to pass through a plane extending along the second surface, the plane being located closer to the second surface than the first isolating portion is, the second isolating portion being constituted by a groove provided in the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the semiconductor layer includes, as element regions defined by the first isolating portion,
- a first element region where a first photoelectric conversion element is provided,
- a second element region where a second photoelectric conversion element is provided, and
- a third element region disposed between the first element region and the second element region, the third element region having a different shape from the first element region and the second element region,
- wherein the first isolating portion includes
- a first isolating region located between the first element region and the third element region, and
- a second isolating region located between the second element region and the third element region,
- wherein the semiconductor layer includes
- a first semiconductor region located between the first element region and the second surface in a normal direction with respect to the first surface,
- a second semiconductor region located between the second element region and the second surface in the normal direction,
- a third semiconductor region located between the third element region and the second surface in the normal direction, and
- a fourth semiconductor region located between the first isolating region and the second surface in the normal direction,
- wherein the second isolating portion includes a part that overlaps the second isolating region in the normal direction,
- wherein, in the plane,
- the semiconductor layer is continuous between the first semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region, and
- the part is located between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region,
- wherein the first photoelectric conversion element includes a first impurity region of a first conductivity type in which a signal charge is a majority carrier and a second impurity region of a second conductivity type in which a signal charge is a minority carrier, and
- wherein a distance between the first impurity region and the part is greater than a distance between the first impurity region and the first isolating region.
19 more elements
A photoelectric conversion apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface;
- a first isolating portion disposed on a side of the first surface, the first isolating portion being constituted by an insulator;
- and
- a second isolating portion disposed so as to pass through a plane extending along the second surface, the plane being located closer to the second surface than the first isolating portion is, the second isolating portion being constituted by a groove provided in the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the semiconductor layer includes
- a first photoelectric conversion element,
- a second photoelectric conversion element, and
- a semiconductor element provided in an element region, the element region being defined by the first isolating portion and disposed between the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element,
- wherein the first photoelectric conversion element includes a first photodiode, and a second photodiode,
- wherein a first transfer gate configured to transfer a signal charge of the first photodiode and a second transfer gate configured to transfer a signal charge of the second photodiode are provided in an element region in which the first photoelectric conversion element is provided,
- wherein the second photoelectric conversion element includes a third photodiode and a fourth photodiode,
- wherein a third transfer gate configured to transfer a signal charge of the third photodiode and a fourth transfer gate configured to transfer a signal charge of the fourth photodiode are provided in an element region in which the second photoelectric conversion element is provided, and
- wherein, in the plane, the second isolating portion is disposed between the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element, and the semiconductor layer is continuous between the first photodiode and the second photodiode and between the third photodiode and the fourth photodiode.
10 more elements
A camera, comprising:
- a photoelectric conversion apparatus serving as an imaging apparatus;
- and
- at least one of a signal processing device configured to process a signal obtained from the imaging apparatus, a storage device configured to store a signal obtained from the imaging apparatus, and a display device configured to display information obtained by the imaging apparatus,
- wherein the photoelectric conversion apparatus comprises
- a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite to the first surface;
- a first isolating portion disposed on a side of the first surface, the first isolating portion being constituted by an insulator;
- and
- a second isolating portion disposed so as to pass through a plane extending along the second surface, the plane being located closer to the second surface than the first isolating portion is, the second isolating portion being constituted by a groove provided in the semiconductor layer,
- wherein the semiconductor layer includes, as element regions defined by the first isolating portion,
- a first element region where a first photoelectric conversion element is provided,
- a second element region where a second photoelectric conversion element is provided, and
- a third element region disposed between the first element region and the second element region, the third element region having a different shape from the first element region and the second element region,
- wherein the first isolating portion includes
- a first isolating region located between the first element region and the third element region, and
- a second isolating region located between the second element region and the third element region,
- wherein the semiconductor layer includes
- a first semiconductor region located between the first element region and the second surface in a normal direction with respect to the first surface,
- a second semiconductor region located between the second element region and the second surface in the normal direction,
- a third semiconductor region located between the third element region and the second surface in the normal direction, and
- a fourth semiconductor region located between the first isolating region and the second surface in the normal direction,
- wherein the second isolating portion includes a part that overlaps the second isolating region in the normal direction,
- wherein, in the plane,
- the semiconductor layer is continuous between the first semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region, and
- the part is located between the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region,
- wherein the first photoelectric conversion element includes a first impurity region of a first conductivity type in which a signal charge is a majority carrier and a second impurity region of a second conductivity type in which a signal charge is a minority carrier, and
- wherein a distance between the first impurity region and the part is greater than a distance between the first impurity region and the first isolating region.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.