Designs of image sensing devices by including a substrate layer including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a plurality of grid structures disposed over the substrate layer, a plurality of color filter layers each of which is disposed between adjacent grid structures, a plurality of over-coating layers formed over the color filter layers, and a plurality of microlenses formed over the over-coating layers. Each of the grid structures includes an air layer, and a capping film formed to cap the air layer, and an upper portion of the air layer is formed to protrude upward from the over-coating layer.

Provided is a beam steering apparatus including a driving pixel unit including a plurality of driving pixels that are respectively configured to supply a voltage or a current, a light modulator including a plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of driving pixels, each pixel of the plurality of pixels being configured to modulate incident light, and a wiring layer including a wiring structure configured to electrically connect the plurality of driving pixels to the plurality of pixels, wherein the wiring structure includes a first conductive wire connected to the plurality of driving pixels, a second conductive wire connected to the plurality of pixels, and at least one third conductive wire connected between the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire, and wherein the first conductive wire, the second conductive wire, and the at least one third conductive wire form a step structure.

The present technology relates to a light receiving element, a distance measurement module, and electronic equipment which are capable of reducing leakage of incident light to adjacent pixels. A light receiving element includes a semiconductor layer in which photodiodes performing photoelectric conversion of infrared rays are formed in units of pixels, and a wiring layer in which a transfer transistor reading charge generated by the photodiodes is formed, and an inter-pixel light shielding unit that shields the infrared rays is formed at a pixel boundary portion of the wiring layer. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a distance measurement module that measures a distance to a subject, and the like.

The sensitivity of an image sensor is improved.

The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels and a light-blocking wall. The plurality of pixels included in the image sensor each includes a photoelectric conversion unit disposed on a semiconductor substrate and photoelectrically converting incident light that is irradiated, and an on-chip lens that focuses the incident light onto the photoelectric conversion unit. The light-blocking wall included in the image sensor is disposed adjacent to the semiconductor substrate at a boundary between the plurality of pixels and configured such that a side of the light-blocking wall that is irradiated with the incident light has a tapered-shape cross-section, the light-blocking wall blocking the incident light.

An integrated sensor includes a substrate made of a first semiconductor material having a first optical refractive index. The substrate includes a pixel array, wherein each pixel has a photosensitive active zone formed by an index contrast zone including a matrix of the first semiconductor material and a periodic structure embedded in the matrix. The periodic structure extends from the backside of the substrate and has a two-dimensional periodicity in a parallel plane with the backside. A value of the periodicity is linked with the wavelength of the optical signal and with the first refractive index. Elements of the periodic structure are formed of a second optically transparent material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index. These elements are positioned at locations defined by the periodicity except for at one location defining a region, preferably central, that is devoid of a corresponding one of the elements.

A photoelectric conversion device having pixels lined up in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the photoelectric conversion device including: a semiconductor layer which has a front surface and a rear surface and which includes an avalanche photodiode; a wiring layer arranged on a side of the front surface of the semiconductor layer; and a trench arranged in a boundary portion between two pixels, wherein the trench has at least any of a metal or a metal compound arranged therein and extends from inside of the semiconductor layer to inside of the wiring layer.

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a plurality of pixel sensors disposed in the substrate, a sensor isolation feature disposed in the substrate defining an active region, and a dielectric layer between the sensor isolation feature and the substrate, wherein the sensor isolation feature comprises a conductive material.

A solid state imaging apparatus includes an insulation structure formed of an insulation substance penetrating through at least a silicon layer at a light receiving surface side, the insulation structure having a forward tapered shape where a top diameter at an upper portion of the light receiving surface side of the silicon layer is greater than a bottom diameter at a bottom portion of the silicon layer. Also, there are provided a method of producing the solid state imaging apparatus and an electronic device including the solid state imaging apparatus.

In an imaging device, a photoelectric converter of a first pixel and a photoelectric converter of a second pixel are arranged along a first direction. At least part of a charge accumulation portion of the first pixel is disposed between the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and the photoelectric converter of the second pixel. An exit surface of a light guiding path of the first pixel is longer in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view than in the first direction.

An image-sensing device is provided. The image-sensing device includes a substrate, a light-sensing element, a first dielectric layer, a light-guiding structure, and a patterned conductive layer. The light-sensing element is disposed in the substrate. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the first side of the substrate. The light-guiding structure is disposed in the first dielectric layer. The patterned conductive layer is disposed between the light-sensing element and the light-guiding structure. In addition, the patterned conductive layer includes a subwavelength structure. An image-sensing system including the above image-sensing device is also provided.