# US 9,437,648 B2 · Solid-state image pickup device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,648 B2 - Document ID: US9437648B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/740,633 - Filed: 2015-06-16 - Published: 2015-12-24 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-24 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiromasa Tsuboi; Mahito Shinohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437648B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/196: {Junction field effect transistor [JFET] image sensors; Static induction transistor [SIT] image sensors} - H10F 39/802: {Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes} - H10F 39/80377: {characterised by the channel of the transistor, e.g. channel having a doping gradient} - H10F 39/807: {Pixel isolation structures} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A solid-state image pickup device includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion section that generates an electric charge in accordance with incident light and a junction field-effect transistor that outputs an image signal in accordance with the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section. The solid-state image pickup device includes a first element isolation region using an insulator and a second element isolation region using a pn junction, the first element isolation region and the second element isolation region being arranged in a region in which the plurality of pixels are arranged. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a plurality of pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion section that generates an electric charge in accordance with incident light; and a junction field-effect transistor that outputs an image signal in accordance with the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section, wherein the solid-state image pickup device includes a first element isolation region using an insulator and a second element isolation region using a pn junction, the first element isolation region and the second element isolation region being arranged in a region in which the plurality of pixels are arranged, and a channel of the junction field-effect transistor and the second element isolation region is arranged along a line that is parallel to a channel direction of the junction field-effect transistor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the second element isolation region includes, and/or operates as, a drain region of the junction field-effect transistor, the junction field-effect transistor being of a lateral type. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the junction field-effect transistor, and wherein among a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, one of the regions includes the first element isolation region formed therein and the other two of the regions each include the second element isolation region formed therein. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one second element isolation region is formed in the region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and wherein a channel region of the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected to each other through the at least one second element isolation region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the respective junction field-effect transistor, and wherein among a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, two of the regions include the first element isolation region formed therein and the other region includes the second element isolation region formed therein. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 5, wherein the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels is surrounded by the first element isolation region and an electrode that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels to the junction field-effect transistor of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the junction field-effect transistor, wherein the first element isolation region is formed in each of: (i) a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, (ii) a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and (iii) a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and wherein the second element isolation region is formed between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the photoelectric conversion section of a different pixel of the plurality of pixels neighboring each other. ### Claim 8 A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a plurality of pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion section that generates an electric charge in accordance with incident light; and a junction field-effect transistor that outputs an image signal in accordance with the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section, wherein the solid-state image pickup device includes a first element isolation region using an insulator and a second element isolation region using a pn junction, the first element isolation region and the second element isolation region being arranged in a region in which the plurality of pixels are arranged, and a portion of the second element isolation region includes, and/or operates as, a drain region of the junction field-effect transistor, the junction field-effect transistor being of a lateral type. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the junction field-effect transistor, and wherein among a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, one of the regions includes the first element isolation region formed therein and the other two of the regions each include the second element isolation region formed therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one second element isolation region is formed in the region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and wherein a channel region of the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected to each other through the at least one second element isolation region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the respective junction field-effect transistor, and wherein among a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, two of the regions include the first element isolation region formed therein and the other region includes the second element isolation region formed therein. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 11, wherein the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels is surrounded by the first element isolation region and an electrode that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels to the junction field-effect transistor of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 8, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the junction field-effect transistor, wherein the first element isolation region is formed in each of: (i) a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, (ii) a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and (iii) a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and wherein the second element isolation region is formed between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the photoelectric conversion section of a different pixel of the plurality of pixels neighboring each other. ### Claim 14 A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a plurality of pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion section that generates an electric charge in accordance with incident light; and a junction field-effect transistor that outputs an image signal in accordance with the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section, wherein the solid-state image pickup device includes a first element isolation region using an insulator and a second element isolation region using a pn junction, the first element isolation region and the second element isolation region being arranged in a region in which the plurality of pixels are arranged, wherein each of the plurality of pixels further includes a reset transistor that resets an electric charge stored in a gate region of the respective junction field-effect transistor, and wherein among a region between the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and a drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the drain region of the reset transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, and a region between the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels and the junction field-effect transistor of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels, two of the regions include the first element isolation region formed therein and the other region includes the second element isolation region formed therein. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein the photoelectric conversion section of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels is surrounded by the first element isolation region and an electrode that transfers the electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion section of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels to the junction field-effect transistor of the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels.