Interlevel conductive light shield
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJeffrey P. Gambino, Zhong-Xiang He, Kevin N. Ogg, Richard J. Rassel, Robert M. Rassel
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Abstract
A CMOS image sensor pixel includes a conductive light shield, which is located between a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer. At least one via extends from a top surface of the second dielectric layer to a bottom surface of the first dielectric layer is formed in the metal interconnect structure. The conductive light shield may be formed within a contact level between a top surface of a semiconductor substrate and a first metal line level, or may be formed in any metal interconnect via level between two metal line levels. The inventive CMOS image sensor pixel enables reduction of noise in the signal stored in the floating drain.
Claims13
A semiconductor structure comprising:
- at least one semiconductor device located on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate;
- at least one first-level metal line separated from a top surface of said semiconductor substrate;
- a first dielectric layer abutting a top surface of said at least one first-level metal line;
- a conductive light shield located over said at least one semiconductor device and abutting a top surface of said first dielectric layer;
- and
- a second dielectric layer located over said conductive light shield, wherein said first dielectric layer and said second dielectric layer encapsulate an entirety of said conductive light shield.
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design, said design structure comprising:
- a first data representing a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
- a second data representing a conductive light shield located in a local interconnect level and overlying said semiconductor device;
- a third data representing a metal line located in a metal interconnect level which is located above said local interconnect level;
- and
- a fourth data representing a contact via abutting said metal line and said semiconductor device.
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design, said design structure comprising:
- a first data representing a semiconductor device located on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate;
- a second data representing a first-level metal line separated from a top surface of said semiconductor substrate;
- a third data representing a first dielectric layer abutting a top surface of said at least one first-level metal line;
- a fourth data representing a conductive light shield located over said at least one semiconductor device and abutting a top surface of said first dielectric layer;
- and
- a fifth data representing a second dielectric layer located over said conductive light shield, wherein said first dielectric layer and said second dielectric layer encapsulate an entirety of said conductive light shield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.