Image sensors for distance measurement

An image sensor, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface, the semiconductor substrate further including a demodulation region;
• a first vertical transmission gate and a second vertical transmission gate isolated from direct contact with each other, the demodulation region between the first vertical transmission gate and the second vertical transmission gate, the first vertical transmission gate and the second vertical transmission gate each extending in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the thickness direction being perpendicular to at least one of the first surface and the second surface;
• and
• a first storage gate and a second storage gate on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first storage gate adjacent to the first vertical transmission gate, the second storage gate adjacent to the second vertical transmission gate,
• wherein a surface area of the first storage gate along a surface parallel to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate is greater than a surface area of the first vertical transmission gate along the surface parallel to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and
• wherein a surface area of the second storage gate along the surface parallel to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate is greater than a surface area of the second vertical transmission gate along the surface parallel to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

An image sensor, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface, the semiconductor substrate further include a demodulation region and a first floating diffusion region, the semiconductor substrate associated with a first conductivity type;
• a first vertical transmission gate and a second vertical transmission gate isolated from direct contact with each other, the demodulation region between the first vertical transmission gate and the second vertical transmission gate, the first vertical transmission gate and the second vertical transmission gate each extending in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the thickness direction being perpendicular to at least one of the first surface and the second surface;
• a first storage gate between the first vertical transmission gate and the first floating diffusion region, the first storage gate on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• a storage diffusion region in an inner portion of the semiconductor substrate, the storage diffusion region on the first storage gate, the storage diffusion region associated with a second conductivity type, the second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type.