Dark-current inhibiting image sensor and method

Abstract

A dark-current-inhibiting image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a thin and a thin junction. The semiconductor substrate includes a front surface, a back surface opposite the front surface, a photodiode, and a concave surface between the front surface and the back surface. The concave surface extends from the back surface toward the front surface, and defines a trench that surrounds the photodiode in a cross-sectional plane parallel to the back surface. The thin junction extends from the concave surface into the semiconductor substrate, and is a region of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first substrate region, located between the thin junction and the photodiode, that has a first conductive type. The photodiode and the thin junction have a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.