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US 7,064,406 B2Granted
Supression of dark current in a photosensor for imaging
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorChandra Mouli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pixel cell having a halogen-rich region localized between an oxide isolation region and a photosensor. The halogen-rich region prevents leakage from the isolation region into the photosensor, thereby suppressing dark current in imagers.
Claims24
A pixel cell comprising:
- a photosensor having a first doped region and a second doped region in association with a semiconductor substrate, said photosensor capable of generating dark current;
- an isolation region formed within said substrate and adjacent to said photosensor;
- and
- a halogen-rich region localized at least at a sidewall region of said isolation region, said halogen-rich region having a halogen concentration sufficient to suppress said dark current.
1 more element
A pixel cell comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having trenches formed therein;
- a photosensor formed in said substrate and having a first doped region and a second doped region in association with said semiconductor substrate, said photosensor being capable of generating dark current;
- a halogen-rich region formed within at least one of said trenches, said halogen-rich region having a halogen concentration sufficient for the suppression of said dark current;
- and
- an isolation region formed within said at least one trench.
2 more elements
A pixel cell comprising:
- a photosensor having a first doped region and a second doped region in association with a semiconductor substrate, said photosensor capable of generating dark current;
- a shallow trench isolation region formed within said substrate and adjacent to said photosensor;
- and
- a fluorine-rich region localized at a boundary between said shallow trench isolation region and said substrate, said fluorine-rich region having a depth from a surface of said substrate sufficient to suppress said generation of dark current.
1 more element
A pixel cell comprising:
- a photosensor having a first doped region and a second doped region in association with a semiconductor substrate;
- a shallow trench isolation region formed within said substrate;
- and
- a halogen-rich region localized throughout a surface of said substrate that contacts said shallow trench isolation region, said halogen-rich region having a halogen concentration sufficient for suppressing the flow of dark current from said photosensor.
1 more element
A pixel cell comprising:
- a photosensor having a first doped region and a second doped region in association with a semiconductor substrate;
- an isolation region formed within a trench formed within said substrate;
- and
- a halogen-rich region localized within said trench, said halogen-rich region having a halogen concentration sufficient for suppressing the presence of charge collecting dangling bonds of said substrate at said trench.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.