An image sensor includes a separation impurity layer in a semiconductor layer and defining a photoelectric conversion region and a readout circuit region, a photoelectric conversion layer in the semiconductor layer of the photoelectric conversion region and surrounded by the separation impurity layer, a floating diffusion region spaced apart from the photoelectric conversion layer and in the semiconductor layer of the photoelectric conversion region, a transfer gate electrode between the photoelectric conversion layer and the floating diffusion region, and impurity regions in the semiconductor layer of the readout circuit region. When the photoelectric conversion layer is integrated with photo-charges, the separation impurity layer has a first potential level around the photoelectric conversion layer and a second potential level on a portion between the photoelectric conversion layer and the impurity regions of the readout circuit region. The second potential level is greater than the first potential level.

An imaging device may have an array of image sensor pixels. Each image sensor pixel of the array of image sensor pixels may have split photodiodes that are symmetric about a shared floating diffusion region. The floating diffusion region may be coupled to each of the photodiodes. Each of the split photodiodes and the floating diffusion region may generate charge in response to light incident on the image sensor pixel. The split photodiodes and the floating diffusion region may be covered by a microlens. The charge generated by the photodiodes and the floating diffusion region may be compared and utilized by the imaging device in phase detection applications. The image sensor pixel may also include a dual conversion gain capacitor and a gain select transistor to produce high dynamic range (HDR) images.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions each provided in a semiconductor substrate and receives incident light through a light sensing surface, and a pixel separation portion provided to electrically separate a plurality of pixels. At least a pinning layer and a light shielding layer are provided in an inner portion of a trench provided on a side portion of each of the photoelectric conversion portions in an incident surface side, the trench includes a first trench and a second trench formed to be wider than the first trench in a portion shallower than the first trench, the pinning layer is formed in an inner portion of the first trench to cover an inside surface of the second trench, and the light shielding layer is formed to bury an inner portion of the second trench at least via the pinning layer.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor may include first to fourth unit pixels. The first unit pixel includes a first photodiode, a first transfer gate, and a first floating diffusion region, and the second unit pixel includes a second photodiode, a second transfer gate, and a second floating diffusion region, and the third unit pixel includes a third photodiode, a third transfer gate, and a third floating diffusion region, and the fourth unit pixel includes a fourth photodiode, a fourth transfer gate, and a fourth floating diffusion region. The first photodiode and the third photodiode may be N-type photodiodes. The second photodiode and the fourth photodiode may be P-type photodiodes.

An image sensor including a substrate having a first, a first device isolation region adjacent to the first surface and defining a unit pixel, a transfer gate on the first surface at an edge of the unit pixel, a photoelectric conversion part in the substrate and adjacent to a first side surface of the transfer gate, and a floating diffusion region in the substrate and adjacent to a second side surface of the transfer gate. The second side surface faces the first side surface. The first device isolation region is spaced apart from the second side surface. The substrate and the first device isolation region are doped with impurities having a first conductivity. A first impurity concentration of the first device isolation region is greater than a second impurity concentration of the substrate.

Image sensors may include hybrid three-dimensional imaging pixel groups. The pixel groups may be capable of obtaining both phase detection information and time-of-flight information. A pixel group may have first and second photodiodes covered by a single microlens that are used to obtain phase detection information. The microlens may also cover a third photodiode that obtains time-of-flight information. The first and second photodiodes may be formed in a first substrate whereas the third photodiode may be formed in a second substrate. The first and second substrates may be connected by a metal interconnect layer.

An image sensor device is disclosed. The image sensor device includes: a substrate having a front surface and a back surface; a radiation-sensing region formed in the substrate; an opening extending from the back surface of the substrate into the substrate; a first metal oxide film including a first metal, the first metal oxide film being formed on an interior surface of the opening; and a second metal oxide film including a second metal, the second metal oxide film being formed over the first metal oxide film; wherein the electronegativity of the first metal is greater than the electronegativity of the second metal. An associated fabricating method is also disclosed.

An image sensor includes a substrate, a first isolation region defining a unit pixel, a first photoelectric conversion region in the unit pixel, a second photoelectric conversion region in the unit pixel, the second photoelectric conversion region spaced apart from the first photoelectric conversion region, a floating diffusion region, the floating diffusion region adjacent to the first surface of the substrate, a first transfer gate on the first surface of the substrate, the first transfer gate between the first photoelectric conversion region and the floating diffusion region, and a second transfer gate on the first surface of the substrate, the second transfer gate between the second photoelectric conversion region and the floating diffusion region. At least a part of the first transfer gate is buried in the substrate, and a bottom surface of the first transfer gate is different in height from a bottom surface of the second transfer gate.

A global shutter imaging pixel may have a single source follower transistor. The source follower transistor may be coupled to a floating diffusion region and a charge storage region. In order to read out samples from the charge storage region without including a second source follower transistor in each pixel, the samples may be transferred to floating diffusion regions of adjacent pixels. Alternatively, a transistor may be configured to transfer charge from the charge storage region to the floating diffusion region of the same pixel, thus reusing a single source follower transistor. These types of pixels may be used for correlated double sampling, where a reset charge level and integration charge level are both sampled. These pixels may also operate in a global shutter mode where images are captured simultaneously by each pixel.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions each provided in a semiconductor substrate and receives incident light through a light sensing surface, and a pixel separation portion provided to electrically separate a plurality of pixels. At least a pinning layer and a light shielding layer are provided in an inner portion of a trench provided on a side portion of each of the photoelectric conversion portions in an incident surface side, the trench includes a first trench and a second trench formed to be wider than the first trench in a portion shallower than the first trench, the pinning layer is formed in an inner portion of the first trench to cover an inside surface of the second trench, and the light shielding layer is formed to bury an inner portion of the second trench at least via the pinning layer.