# US 8,786,044 B2 · Photoelectric conversion device and imaging system

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- Number: US 8,786,044 B2
- Document ID: US8786044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/632,733
- Filed: 2012-10-01
- Published: 2013-04-11
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-07
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Ryuichi Mishima; Hideaki Ishino; Kenji Togo; Masatsugu Itahashi; Takehito Okabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786044B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/805: {Coatings}
- H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors
- H10F 39/8053: {Colour filters}
- H10F 39/8063: {Microlenses}
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device includes a film that covers the photoelectric conversion part and a transfer gate electrode, wherein a first region having a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the film and the photoelectric conversion part, is provided between the film and the photoelectric conversion part, and a second region having a refractive index lower than the refractive indices of the transfer gate electrode and the film, is provided between the film and the top surface of the transfer gate electrode, and wherein T1<T2<λ/2−T1 is satisfied, where an optical thickness of the first region is T1, an optical thickness of the second region is T2, and a wavelength of a light incident on the photoelectric conversion part is λ.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
a photoelectric conversion part provided in a semiconductor substrate;
a signal generation part configured to generate an electrical signal based on a signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion part; and
a transfer gate configured to transfer a signal charge to the signal generation part from the photoelectric conversion part; and
a continuous film configured to cover the photoelectric conversion part, and to cover a top surface of a gate electrode of the transfer gate,
wherein a first region is provided between the continuous film and the photoelectric conversion part, the first region being configured to have a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the continuous film and the photoelectric conversion part, and to form an interface boundary with the continuous film, and
wherein a second region is provided between the continuous film and the top surface of the gate electrode, the second region being configured to have a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the gate electrode and the continuous film, and to form an interface boundary with the continuous film, and
wherein T2 is greater than T1 and less than λ/2−T1 where an optical thickness of the first region is T1, an optical thickness of the second region T2, and a wavelength of an incident light entering the photoelectric conversion part is λ.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an intermediate member, provided between the continuous film and the top surface of the gate electrode, without extending between the continuous film and a side surface on the photoelectric conversion part side of the gate electrode of the transfer gate, and configured to have a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the continuous film and the photoelectric conversion part,
wherein the second region includes the intermediate member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an intermediate film, provided between the semiconductor substrate and the continuous film, configured to cover the photoelectric conversion part and the top surface of the gate electrode, and to have a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the continuous film and the photoelectric conversion part,
wherein the first region includes a portion located between the intermediate film and the photoelectric conversion part, of the continuous film, and
wherein the second region includes a portion of the intermediate film, located between the continuous film and the top surface of the gate electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, satisfying at least one of the following requirements (a), (b), and (c):
(a) T1 is less than or equal to λ/8, and, T2 is greater than or equal to λ/8, and less than or equal to 3λ/8
(b) T2 is less than or equal to λ/4
(c) T2 is greater than or equal to 2×T1.

### Claim 5

A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
a photoelectric conversion part provided on a silicon substrate;
a signal generation part configured to generate an electrical signal based on a signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion part;
a transfer gate configured to transfer the signal charge to the signal generation part from the photoelectric conversion part; and
a color filter provided on the photoelectric conversion part; and
a silicon nitride film configured to cover the photoelectric conversion part, and to cover a top surface of a gate electrode of the transfer gate which is made of polysilicon,
wherein a first region composed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride-oxide, and configured to form an interface boundary with the silicon nitride film, is provided between a portion that covers the photoelectric conversion part of the silicon nitride film and the photoelectric conversion part, and
wherein a second region composed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride-oxide, and configured to form an interface boundary with the silicon nitride film, is provided between the silicon nitride film and the top surface of the gate electrode, and
wherein D1≦28 nm and D1<D2<167 nm are satisfied where a physical thickness of the first region is D1, and a physical thickness of the second region is D2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, further comprising:
an intermediate member, provided between the silicon nitride film and the top surface of the gate electrode, without extending between the silicon nitride film and a side surface on the photoelectric conversion part side of the gate electrode of the transfer gate,
wherein the second region includes the intermediate member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate member is made of silicon oxide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, further comprising:
an intermediate film, provided between the silicon substrate and the silicon nitride film, configured to cover the photoelectric conversion part and to cover the top surface of the gate electrode,
wherein the first region includes a portion of the intermediate film located between the silicon nitride film and the photoelectric conversion part, and
wherein the second region includes a portion of the intermediate film located between the silicon nitride film and the top surface of the gate electrode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the first region includes a portion of a gate insulating film of the transfer gate which extends from between the gate electrode and the substrate to cover the photoelectric conversion part.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, wherein the first region includes a portion of the gate insulating film of the transfer gate which extends from between the gate electrode and the substrate to cover the photoelectric conversion part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein an optical thickness of the intermediate member is greater than an optical thickness of the first region.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein a physical thickness of the intermediate member is greater than a physical thickness of the first region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein a bottom surface of the intermediate member is in contact with the top surface of the gate electrode, and a length of the bottom surface of the intermediate member in a transfer direction of the transfer gate is equal to a length of the top surface of the gate electrode in the transfer direction and is greater than a physical thickness of the intermediate member.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, wherein a bottom surface of the intermediate member is in contact with the top surface of the gate electrode, and a length of the bottom surface of the intermediate member in a transfer direction of the transfer gate is equal to a length of the top surface of the gate electrode in the transfer direction and is greater than a physical thickness of the intermediate member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a light guide member surrounded by an insulating film covering the substrate and having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the insulating film, is provided on the photoelectric conversion part.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a signal processing unit configured to process the electrical signal generated by the signal generation part,
wherein a transistor of the signal processing unit satisfies at least one of the following requirements (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v):
(i) a drain of the transistor is covered with a silicide layer,
(ii) a top surface of a gate electrode of the transistor is covered with a silicide layer,
(iii) the transistor has a side wall spacer, and the side wall spacer includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer provided between the first dielectric layer and the gate electrode of the transistor and having a dielectric constant lower than that of the first dielectric layer,
(iv) a gate electrode of the transistor and the gate electrode of the transfer gate are made of similar conductivity-type polysilicon, and an impurity concentration of the gate electrode of the transistor is higher than an impurity concentration of the gate electrode of the transfer gate,
(v) a physical thickness of the gate insulating film of the transistor is smaller than a physical thickness of the gate insulating film of the transfer gate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 5)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5, further comprising:
a signal processing unit configured to process the electrical signal generated by the signal generation part,
wherein a transistor of the signal processing unit satisfies at least one of the following requirements (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v):
(i) a drain of the transistor is covered with a silicide layer,
(ii) a top surface of a gate electrode of the transistor is covered with a silicide layer,
(iii) the transistor has a side wall spacer, and the side wall spacer includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer provided between the first dielectric layer and the gate electrode of the transistor and having a dielectric constant lower than that of the first dielectric layer,
(iv) a gate electrode of the transistor and the gate electrode of the transfer gate are made of similar conductivity-type polysilicon, and an impurity concentration of the gate electrode of the transistor is higher than an impurity concentration of the gate electrode of the transfer gate,
(v) a physical thickness of the gate insulating film of the transistor is smaller than a physical thickness of the gate insulating film of the transfer gate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein λ is greater or equal to 400 nm and less than or equal to 800 nm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

An imaging system comprising:
the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and
at least one of an image processing unit configured to process an image based on the electrical signal and an image display unit configured to display an image based on the electrical signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 5)

An imaging system comprising:
the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 5; and
at least one of an image processing unit configured to process an image based on the electrical signal and an image display unit configured to display an image based on the electrical signal.