An infrared detector useful in, e.g., infrared cameras, includes a substrate having an array of infrared detectors and a readout integrated circuit interconnected with the array disposed on an upper surface thereof, for one or more embodiments. A generally planar window is spaced above the array, the window being substantially transparent to infrared light. A mesa is bonded to the window. The mesa has closed marginal side walls disposed between an outer periphery of a lower surface of the window and an outer periphery of the upper surface of the substrate and defines a closed cavity between the window and the array that encloses the array. A solder seal bonds the mesa to the substrate so as to seal the cavity.

A process for fabricating an optoelectronic device including an array of germanium-based photodiodes including the following steps: producing a stack of semiconductor layers, made from germanium; producing trenches; depositing a passivation intrinsic semiconductor layer, made from silicon; annealing, ensuring, for each photodiode, an interdiffusion of the silicon of the passivation semiconductor layer and of the germanium of a semiconductor portion, thus forming a peripheral zone of the semiconductor portion, made from silicon-germanium.

An aerogel-encapsulated image sensor includes a device die with an image sensor fabricated thereon and an aerogel layer that encapsulates the image sensor. A method for encapsulating image sensor pixel arrays of respective bare image sensors formed on a sensor array sheet may include injecting an uncured aerogel portion on each image sensor pixel array, and curing each uncured aerogel portion. The step of curing may include at least one of (a) super-critical drying, (b) surface-modification drying, and (c) pinhole drying an uncured aerogel portion. The method may further include singulating the sensor array sheet into a plurality of aerogel-encapsulated image sensors. A method for encapsulating image sensor pixel arrays of respective bare image sensors on a device wafer may include forming an aerogel layer on each bare image sensor. The step of forming may include at least one of spin-coating, dip-coating, and spray-coating the aerogel layer.

An image pickup apparatus includes a semiconductor layer that constitutes a pixel circuit region and a peripheral circuit region. An element isolation portion is disposed in the pixel circuit region and the peripheral circuit region, defines an element portion of the semiconductor layer, and contains an insulator. The element isolation portion in the pixel circuit region has a hydrogen concentration 10 times or more higher than the hydrogen concentration of the element isolation portion in the peripheral circuit region.

A method makes an electromagnetic radiation detecting device including at least one thermal detector with an absorbent membrane suspended above a substrate, intended to be located in a sealed cavity. The method includes depositing, on the substrate, a gettering metallic layer including a metallic material with a gettering effect; depositing a carbonaceous sacrificial layer of amorphous carbon on the gettering metallic layer; depositing at least one sacrificial mineral layer on the carbonaceous sacrificial layer; chemical-mechanical planarization of the sacrificial mineral layer; fabricating the thermal detector so that the absorbent membrane is produced on the sacrificial mineral layer; removing the sacrificial mineral layer; and removing the carbonaceous sacrificial layer.

The performances of a semiconductor device are improved. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having a gettering layer formed by ion implanting a cluster, and an epitaxial layer; subjecting the semiconductor substrate to a heat treatment at 800° C. or more, and thereby forming a hydrogen adsorption site; forming an element isolation film at the semiconductor substrate, to be performed thereafter; implanting an impurity for forming a first semiconductor region in the semiconductor substrate; implanting an impurity for forming a second semiconductor region; and performing a heat treatment for a photodiode, to be performed thereafter.

A method for producing an imager includes the following steps: a. attaching an imaging sensor to a first substrate; b. cutting out the first substrate a predefined distance around the attached imaging sensor; c. attaching a driver circuit board for driving the imaging sensor to the cut-out first substrate, close to the attached imaging sensor; d. connecting the driver circuit board for driving the imaging sensor to the attached imaging sensor in order to obtain a first tile; e. repeating the attaching, cutting-out, attaching, and connecting steps in order to obtain a second tile; f. butting together the obtained first tile and second tile by placing the cut-out first substrates in edge-to-edge contact; g. attaching the butted-together tiles to a main substrate; h. connecting the driver circuit boards of the imaging sensors of the butted-together first tile and second tile to a motherboard of the imager.

Photosensitive devices and associated methods are provided. In one aspect, for example, a photosensitive imager device can include a semiconductor substrate having multiple doped regions forming at least one junction, a textured region coupled to the semiconductor substrate and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation, and an electrical transfer element coupled to the semiconductor substrate and operable to transfer an electrical signal from the at least one junction. In one aspect, the textured region is operable to facilitate generation of an electrical signal from the detection of infrared electromagnetic radiation. In another aspect, interacting with electromagnetic radiation further includes increasing the semiconductor substrate's effective absorption wavelength as compared to a semiconductor substrate lacking a textured region.

Apparatus and methods for effective impurity gettering are described herein. In some embodiments, a described device includes: a substrate; a pixel region disposed in the substrate; an isolation region disposed in the substrate and within a proximity of the pixel region; and a heterogeneous layer on the seed area. The isolation region comprises a seed area including a first semiconductor material. The heterogeneous layer comprises a second semiconductor material that has a lattice constant different from that of the first semiconductor material.

A semiconductor image sensor includes a substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side. An interconnect structure is disposed over the first side of the substrate. A plurality of radiation-sensing regions is located in the substrate. The radiation-sensing regions are configured to sense radiation that enters the substrate from the second side. A plurality of isolation structures are each disposed between two respective radiation-sensing regions. The isolation structures protrude out of the second side of the substrate.