Semiconductor image sensor module and method of manufacturing the same

An image sensor comprising:

• a first semiconductor chip including a plurality of pixels arranged in a first array, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element,
• a second semiconductor chip including an analog nonvolatile memory array including a plurality of analog nonvolatile memories, and
• a third semiconductor chip including a plurality of analog/digital converters arranged in a second array,
• wherein the first, second, and third semiconductor chips are stacked and electrically connected to one another,
• wherein at least two of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips are electrically connected through a penetration contact portion passing through at least one of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips, and
• wherein an amount of information corresponding to an amount of accumulated electric charge is stored by the analog nonvolatile memories.

A method of making an image sensor module, comprising the steps of:

• forming a first semiconductor chip, the first semiconductor chip including a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a first array, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element;
• forming a second semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chips including a plurality of analog/digital converters arranged in a second array;
• forming a third semiconductor chip, the third semiconductor chip including a memory element array provided with at least a decoder and a sense amplifier;
• and
• stacking and electrically connecting the first, second, and third semiconductor chips to one Another,
• wherein at least two of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips are electrically connected through a penetration contact portion passing through at least one of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips.

A method of making an image sensor, comprising the steps of:

• forming a first semiconductor chip, the first semiconductor chip including a plurality of pixels arranged in a first array, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element;
• forming a second semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip including an analog nonvolatile memory array including a plurality of analog nonvolatile memories provided with an analog nonvolatile memory array composed of a plurality of analog nonvolatile memories;
• forming a third semiconductor chip, the third semiconductor chip including a plurality of analog/digital converters arranged in a second array;
• stacking and electrically connecting the first, second, and third semiconductor chips to one another;
• and
• connecting each of the pixels to one of the analog nonvolatile memories,
• wherein at least two of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips are electrically connected through a penetration contact portion passing through at least one of the first, second, and third semiconductor chips.