A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of units each including a charge generation region disposed in a semiconductor layer. Each of a first unit and a second unit of the plurality of units includes a charge storage region configured to store charges transferred thereto from the charge generation region, a dielectric region located above the charge generation region and surrounded by an insulator layer, and a first light-shielding layer covering the charge storage region that is located between the insulator layer and the semiconductor layer, and the first light-shielding layer having an opening located above the charge generation region. The charge generation region of the first unit is able to receive light through the opening of the first light-shielding layer. The charge generation region of the second unit is covered with a second light-shielding layer.

A back-illuminated solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a shift register, and a light-shielding film. The semiconductor substrate includes a light incident surface on the back side and a light receiving portion generating a charge in accordance with light incidence. The shift register is disposed on the side of a light-detective surface opposite to the light incident surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film is disposed on the side of the light-detective surface of the semiconductor substrate. The light-shielding film includes an uneven surface opposing the light-detective surface.

A semiconductor structure is provided, the semiconductor structure includes a front oxide layer on a backside oxide layer, a front electronic component in the front oxide layer, a backside electronic component in the backside oxide layer, and a shield structure disposed between the front oxide layer and the backside oxide layer, the shield structure includes a patterned buried metal layer, two front contact structures disposed on a front surface of the patterned buried metal layer, and two back contact structures disposed on a backside of the patterned buried metal layer.

A solid-state imaging device includes a light detector provided inside a semiconductor body; a first insulating film provided on a front surface of the semiconductor body; a plurality of second insulating films provided between the light detector and the first insulating film, the plurality of second insulating films arranged in a first direction along the front surface of the semiconductor body; and a third insulating film provided between the semiconductor body and the second insulating films, the third insulating film having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the second insulating films.

A solid-state imaging device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type on the first semiconductor layer; and first and second detectors positioned inside the second semiconductor layer. The first and second detectors are arranged in a first direction along a boundary between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The device further includes first and second semiconductor regions provided between the first semiconductor layer and the first and second detectors, respectively. The first and second semiconductor regions include second conductivity type impurities with a higher concentration than that in the second semiconductor layer. The first detector has a first thickness along a second direction from the first semiconductor layer toward the second semiconductor layer, and the second detector has a second thickness along the second direction, the second thickness being thicker than the first thickness.

A solid state imaging device having a light sensing section that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light includes: an insulating layer formed on a light receiving surface of the light sensing section; a layer having negative electric charges formed on the insulating layer; and a hole accumulation layer formed on the light receiving surface of the light sensing section.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of units each including a charge generation region disposed in a semiconductor layer. Each of a first unit and a second unit of the plurality of units includes a charge storage region configured to store charges transferred thereto from the charge generation region, a dielectric region located above the charge generation region and surrounded by an insulator layer, and a first light-shielding layer covering the charge storage region that is located between the insulator layer and the semiconductor layer, and the first light-shielding layer having an opening located above the charge generation region. The charge generation region of the first unit is able to receive light through the opening of the first light-shielding layer. The charge generation region of the second unit is covered with a second light-shielding layer.

A thin-film transistor substrate may include a substrate, a transistor on the substrate, and including an active pattern, and a gate electrode insulated from the active pattern, and a first protection member on the transistor, and overlapping the transistor in a plan view.

A semiconductor structure is provided, the semiconductor structure includes a front oxide layer on a backside oxide layer, a front electronic component in the front oxide layer, a backside electronic component in the backside oxide layer, and a shield structure disposed between the front oxide layer and the backside oxide layer, the shield structure includes a patterned buried metal layer, two front contact structures disposed on a front surface of the patterned buried metal layer, and two back contact structures disposed on a backside of the patterned buried metal layer.

A backside-illuminated multi-collection-gate image sensor is expected to achieve ultra-high-speed imaging. Signal electrons generated by incident light are collected to the pixel center of the front side and distributed to multiple collection gates placed around the center at a very short time interval. The temporal resolution is measured by the spread of arrival times of signal electrons to a collection gate. The major cause of the spread is mixing of signal electrons generated near the pixel border travelling a longer horizontal distance to the pixel center and those generated near the pixel center. Suppression of the horizontal travel time effectively decreases the standard deviation of the distribution of the arrival time. Therefore, devices to suppress the effects of the horizontal motion are introduced, such as a pipe-like photoelectron conversion layer with a much narrower cross section than the pixel area and a funnel-like photoelectron conversion layer.