Deuterium alloy process for image sensors
AssigneeOmniVision Technologies, Inc.
InventorHoward E. Rhodes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of alloying an image sensor is disclosed. The method comprises forming various semiconductor devices in a semiconductor substrate. Then, an insulator layer is formed over the semiconductor devices. Finally, deuterium gas is used to alloy said image sensor after the insulator oxide layer has been formed and prior to formation of contact holes in the insulator oxide layer.
Claims8
In a method of manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, a method of alloying the CMOS image sensor comprising:
- forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate, said pixel array formed from photodiodes;
- forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;
- forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;
- forming an insulator layer over said photodiodes and semiconductor devices;
- thereafter, planarizing the formed insulator layer over said photodiodes and semiconductor devices;
- and
- thereafter, using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor in an atmosphere having generally less than 100% of deuterium after said insulator oxide layer has been formed and planarized and prior to formation of contact holes in said insulator oxide layer, wherein the deuterium gas has a partial pressure of less then one atmospheric pressure.
In a process for manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, a method of alloying the CMOS image sensor comprising:
- forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate, said pixel array formed from photodiodes;
- forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;
- forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;
- forming an insulator layer over said photodiodes and semiconductor devices;
- forming contact holes in said insulator layer;
- and
- thereafter, using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor in an atmosphere having generally less than 100% of deuterium after said insulator oxide layer has been formed and prior to formation of contact plugs in said contact holes, wherein the deuterium gas has a partial pressure of less then one atmospheric pressure.
A method of alloying an image sensor comprising:
- forming a pixel array in a semiconductor substrate;
- forming semiconductor devices in an n-channel periphery area;
- forming semiconductor devices in a p-channel periphery area;
- forming an insulator layer over said pixel array and semiconductor devices;
- forming contact holes in said insulator layer;
- forming contact plugs in said contact holes;
- and
- thereafter, using deuterium gas to alloy said image sensor after said contact plugs have been formed and prior to deposition of a metal interconnect layer, wherein the deuterium gas has a partial pressure of less then one atmospheric pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.