A method for fabricating an image sensor array having a first group of photodiodes for detecting light at visible wavelengths a second group of photodiodes for detecting light at infrared or near-infrared wavelengths, the method including forming a germanium-silicon layer for the second group of photodiodes on a first semiconductor donor wafer; defining a first interconnect layer on the germanium-silicon layer; defining integrated circuitry for controlling pixels of the image sensor array on a semiconductor carrier wafer; defining a second interconnect layer on the semiconductor carrier wafer; bonding the first interconnect layer with the second interconnect layer; defining the pixels of an image sensor array on a second semiconductor donor wafer; defining a third interconnect layer on the image sensor array; and bonding the third interconnect layer with the germanium-silicon layer.

The disclosure relates to a demodulator including a pinned photodiode; at least one storage node; at least one transfer gate connected between the storage node and the pinned photodiode. The pinned photodiode includes a p-doped epitaxial semiconductor layer; a n-doped semiconductor region formed within the epitaxial semiconductor layer; a p+ pinning layer formed on top of said semiconductor region. The pinning layer is split into at least two separate regions spaced apart by electrical insulating element, each region being arranged for being biased independently by a respective biasing signal for creating a gradient of potential within the semiconductor region.

An image sensor includes a pixel defining pattern in a mesh form. A first division pattern divides a pixel area into two halves. A second division pattern divides the pixel area into two halves. A first diagonal division pattern divides the pixel area into two halves. A second diagonal division pattern divides the pixel area into two halves. First through eighth photodiodes are arranged in the pixel area.

A flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate and a metal annulus. The semiconductor substrate includes a small-photodiode region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms a trench surrounding the small-photodiode region in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a back-surface region of the back surface above the small-photodiode region. The metal annulus (i) at least partially fills the trench, (ii) surrounds the small-photodiode region in the cross-sectional plane, and (iii) extends above the back surface. A method for fabricating a flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate includes forming a metal layer (i) in a trench that surrounds the small-photodiode region in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a back-surface region of the back surface above the small-photodiode region and (ii) on the back-surface region. The method also includes decreasing a thickness of an above-diode section of the metal layer located above the back-surface region.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels. The present disclosure is applicable to a backside illumination CMOS image sensor and an electronic apparatus equipped with the same.

There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array unit, a plurality of pixels being two-dimensionally arranged in the pixel array unit, a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices being formed with respect to one on-chip lens in each of the plurality of pixels, a part of at least one of an inter-pixel separation unit formed between the plurality of pixels and an inter-pixel light blocking unit formed between the plurality of pixels protruding toward a center of the corresponding pixel in a projecting shape to form a projection portion.

A step of forming an on-chip lens of a phase difference pixel is simplified. An imaging element includes a pixel array unit, an individual on-chip lens, a common on-chip lens, and an adjacent on-chip lens. In the pixel array unit, pixels that performs photoelectric conversion according to incident light components, a plurality of phase difference pixels that is included in the pixels, is arranged adjacent to each other, and detects a phase difference, and phase difference pixel adjacent pixels that are included in the pixels and are adjacent to the phase difference pixels are arranged two-dimensionally. The individual on-chip lens is arranged for each of the pixels and individually condenses the incident light components on corresponding one of the pixels. The common on-chip lens is commonly arranged in the plurality of phase difference pixels and commonly condenses the incident light component. The adjacent on-chip lens is arranged for each of the phase difference pixel adjacent pixels, individually condenses the incident light components on corresponding one of the phase difference pixel adjacent pixels, and is formed to have a size different from the individual on-chip lens to adjust a shape of the common on-chip lens.

Provided is a semiconductor device capable of achieving high detection efficiency and low jitter without depending on an increase in thickness of a substrate. A semiconductor device is provided with a plurality of pixels in each of which an avalanche photodiode element that photoelectrically converts incident light is formed, and each of the plurality of pixels is provided with a substrate including a first semiconductor material, and a stacked portion stacked on a surface on a light incident side of the substrate and including a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material.

A plurality of subpixels is included in one pixel. An imaging device includes a subpixel, a pixel, and a pixel array. The subpixel includes a photoelectric conversion element that receives light incident at a predetermined angle and outputs an analog signal on the basis of intensity of the received light. The pixel includes a plurality of the subpixels, a lens that condenses light incident from an outside on the subpixel, and a photoelectric conversion element isolation portion that does not propagate information regarding intensity of the light acquired in the photoelectric conversion element to the adjacent photoelectric conversion element, and further includes a light-shielding wall that shields light incident on the lens of another pixel. The pixel array includes a plurality of the pixels.

It is possible to curb noise, color mixing, and the like. An imaging apparatus includes: a semiconductor; a photoelectric conversion unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and generates electrical charge in accordance with the amount of received light through photoelectric conversion; an electrical charge holding unit that is disposed on a side closer to a first surface of the semiconductor substrate than the photoelectric conversion unit and holds the electrical charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit; an electrical charge transfer unit that transfers the electrical charge from the photoelectric conversion unit to the electrical charge holding unit; a vertical electrode that transmits the electrical charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the electrical charge transfer unit and is disposed in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, and a first light control unit that is disposed on a side closer to a second surface that is a side opposite to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate than the vertical electrode, is disposed at a position overlapping the vertical electrode in a plan view of the semiconductor substrate from a normal line direction of the first surface, and has a T-shaped section in the depth direction of the substrate. The first light control member includes a first light control portion and a second light control portion extending in mutually intersecting directions in an integrated structure.