# US 2026/0096232 A1 · Image sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0096232 A1 - Document ID: US20260096232A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/197,749 - Filed: 2025-05-02 - Published: 2026-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2024-09-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jinmyoung Lee; Sangchul Sul; Hyoun-Jee Ha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260096232A1 ## CPC - H10F 39/80377: {characterised by the channel of the transistor, e.g. channel having a doping gradient} - H04N 25/62: Detection or reduction of noise due to excess charges produced by the exposure, e.g. smear, blooming, ghost image, crosstalk or leakage between pixels - H10F 39/80373: {characterised by the gate of the transistor} - H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters} - H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses} - H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures} - H10F 39/811: {Interconnections} - H10F 39/199: {Back-illuminated image sensors} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image sensor includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other and having a photodiode region; a gate electrode on the photodiode region, a lower portion of the gate electrode being extended into the substrate, and an upper portion of the gate electrode disposed on the first surface of the substrate; a gate dielectric layer between the gate electrode and the substrate; a floating diffusion region on the photodiode region and on a side of the gate electrode; and a channel region extending from a lower surface of the gate dielectric layer onto a side of the floating diffusion region. The channel region includes a first channel region under the gate dielectric layer, and a second channel region under the first channel region, and the first channel region includes a two-dimensional channel layer including a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image sensor comprising: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, the substrate including a photodiode region; a gate electrode on the photodiode region, a lower portion of the gate electrode being extended into the substrate, and an upper portion of the gate electrode being disposed on the first surface of the substrate; a gate dielectric layer between the gate electrode and the substrate; a floating diffusion region on the photodiode region and on a side of the gate electrode; and a channel region extending from a lower surface of the gate dielectric layer onto a side of the floating diffusion region, wherein the channel region includes: a first channel region under the gate dielectric layer; and a second channel region under the first channel region, and wherein the first channel region includes a two-dimensional channel layer that includes a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the second channel region comprises a silicon channel layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image sensor of claim 2, comprising: a two-dimensional buffer layer between the two-dimensional channel layer and the photodiode region, and between the two-dimensional channel layer and the silicon channel layer; and a two-dimensional insulating layer between (i) the two-dimensional channel layer that is on a side of the gate dielectric layer and (ii) the silicon channel layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image sensor of claim 3, wherein the two-dimensional buffer layer and the two-dimensional insulating layer are connected to each other to extend along a lower surface of the two-dimensional channel layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the TMD material comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, or ReSe2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The image sensor of claim 3, wherein the two-dimensional buffer layer comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, ReSe2, graphene, black phosphorous, or titanium carbide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The image sensor of claim 3, wherein the two-dimensional insulating layer comprises hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional channel layer has a stepped structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The image sensor of claim 3, wherein the silicon channel layer has a structure with bends along the two-dimensional insulating layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the second channel region comprises a silicon channel layer, the lower portion of the gate electrode is adjacent to the floating diffusion region, and the lower portion of the gate electrode and the upper portion of the gate electrode are misaligned with each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image sensor of claim 10, comprising a two-dimensional buffer layer between the two-dimensional channel layer and the floating diffusion region. ### Claim 12 An image sensor comprising: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, the substrate including a photodiode region; a gate electrode on the photodiode region, a lower portion of the gate electrode being extended into the substrate, and an upper portion of the gate electrode being disposed on the first surface of the substrate; a first two-dimensional insulating layer between the gate electrode and the substrate; a floating diffusion region on the photodiode region and on a side of the gate electrode; a two-dimensional channel layer extending from a lowermost surface of the first two-dimensional insulating layer onto an upper surface of the floating diffusion region; a second two-dimensional insulating layer between the two-dimensional channel layer and the substrate; a two-dimensional buffer layer provided to an upper portion and a lower portion of the two-dimensional channel layer on the floating diffusion region; and a contact plug in contact with the two-dimensional buffer layer, wherein the first and second two-dimensional insulating layers include an insulating material having a two-dimensional crystal structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the insulating material comprises hexagonal boron nitride. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the two-dimensional channel layer comprises a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material, and wherein the TMD material comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, or ReSe2. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the two-dimensional buffer layer surrounds the two-dimensional channel layer and extends in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the floating diffusion region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the two-dimensional buffer layer comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, ReSe2, graphene, black phosphorous, or titanium carbide. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the two-dimensional buffer layer is on the photodiode region. ### Claim 18 An image sensor comprising: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, the substrate having a first trench recessed from the first surface of the substrate; a shallow element isolation pattern in the first trench; a deep element isolation pattern in the substrate, the deep element isolation pattern defining a pixel region; a photodiode region in the substrate; a gate electrode on the photodiode region; a gate dielectric layer under the gate electrode; a channel region between the gate dielectric layer and the photodiode region; a floating diffusion region on the photodiode region and on a side of the gate electrode; a contact plug on the first surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the floating diffusion region; a micro-lens on the second surface of the substrate; and color filters between the substrate and the micro-lens, wherein the channel region includes: a first channel region under the gate dielectric layer; and a second channel region under the first channel region, wherein the first channel region includes a two-dimensional channel layer that includes a TMD material, the second channel region includes a silicon channel layer, and the two-dimensional channel layer has a stepped structure, and the silicon channel layer has a structure with bends. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The image sensor of claim 18, comprising: a two-dimensional buffer layer between the two-dimensional channel layer and the photodiode region, and between the two-dimensional channel layer and the silicon channel layer; and a two-dimensional insulating layer between (i) the two-dimensional channel layer that is on a side of the gate dielectric layer and (ii) the silicon channel layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image sensor of claim 19, wherein the two-dimensional channel layer comprises a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material, the TMD material comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, or ReSe2, the two-dimensional buffer layer comprises at least one of WSe2, WTe2, WS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, MoS2, ZrS2, ZrSe2, HfS2, HfSe2, NbSe2, ReSe2, graphene, black phosphorous, or titanium carbide, and the two-dimensional insulating layer comprises hexagonal boron nitride.