US 7,071,501 B2 · Image sensor having integrated single large scale pixel and pixel separation pattern

Abstract

An image sensor is disclosed where individual photo diodes of the respective unit cells separated by an element isolating layer are physically integrated into a single large scale pixel formed widely on a semiconductor substrate so as to hold the pixels in common. A pixel separation pattern is additionally formed on a portion of the large scale photo diode formed so as to electrically separate them. An optimization of the light receiving area of the photo diode, a minimization of the intrusion area of an element isolating layer, and so on are achieved, so that the photo diode recovers an area occupied by an intrusion of the element isolating layer, thus maximizing the light receiving area in an optimal scale and easily preventing electrical impacts between the respective unit cells.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An image sensor comprising:

a photo diode formed on an active region of a semiconductor substrate, wherein said photo diode consists of a plurality of pixels and is formed by integrating the pixels into one pixel without being separated by an element isolating layer;
a pixel separation pattern formed on said photo diode and selectively driven depending upon input voltage, thus defining said photo diode into unit pixels;
and
transistors for individually resetting the respective unit pixels defined by said pixel separation pattern, and individually transferring electron-hole pair stored in said respective unit pixels.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/747,057Filed 30 Dec 2003

Priority

KR 10-2003-006797230 Sep 2003

Published

US 2005/0067637 A131 Mar 2005

Granted

4 Jul 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H10F 39/026
Manufacture or treatment of image sensors covered by group H10F39/12: wafer-level processing
H10F 39/014
Manufacture or treatment of image sensors covered by group H10F39/12: of CMOS image sensors
H10F 39/80
Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element covered by group H10F30/00, e.g. radiation detectors…:…
H10F 39/802
Constructional details of image sensors: geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes

Image sensor having integrated single large scale pixel and pixel separation pattern

Life of this patent

Image sensor having integrated single large scale pixel and pixel separation pattern

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6