A CMOS image sensor structure includes a substrate and pixel portions. Each pixel portion includes intersection areas, the border areas each of which is located between any two adjacent ones of the intersection areas, and a central area surrounded by the intersection areas and the border areas. Each pixel portion includes a device layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, discrete reflective structures, discrete metal blocking structures, a passivation layer and a color filter. The device layer is disposed on the substrate. Trenches are formed in the device layer and the substrate corresponding to the border areas respectively. The anti-reflective coating layer conformally covers the device layer, the substrate and the trenches. The reflective structures are disposed in the trenches. The metal blocking structures overly the anti-reflective coating layer in the intersection areas. The passivation layer conformally covers the metal blocking structures. The color filter is disposed on the passivation layer.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels composed of a photoelectric conversion section and a pixel transistor is arranged; an on-chip color filter; an on-chip microlens; and a multilayer interconnection layer in which a plurality of layers of interconnections is formed through an interlayer insulating film. The solid-state imaging device further includes a light-shielding film formed through an insulating layer in a pixel boundary of a light receiving surface in which the photoelectric conversion section is arranged.

Various structures of image sensors are disclosed, as well as methods of forming the image sensors. According to an embodiment, a structure comprises a substrate comprising photo diodes, an oxide layer on the substrate, recesses in the oxide layer and corresponding to the photo diodes, a reflective guide material on a sidewall of each of the recesses, and color filters each being disposed in a respective one of the recesses. The oxide layer and the reflective guide material form a grid among the color filters, and at least a portion of the oxide layer and a portion of the reflective guide material are disposed between neighboring color filters.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels composed of a photoelectric conversion section and a pixel transistor is arranged; an on-chip color filter; an on-chip microlens; and a multilayer interconnection layer in which a plurality of layers of interconnections is formed through an interlayer insulating film. The solid-state imaging device further includes a light-shielding film formed through an insulating layer in a pixel boundary of a light receiving surface in which the photoelectric conversion section is arranged.

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converting light taken by a lens; and a light shielding member shielding part of light incident on the solid-state imaging device from the lens, wherein an angle made between an edge surface of the light shielding member and an optical axis direction of the lens is larger than an incident angle of light to be incident on an edge portion of the light shielding member.

Embodiments related to a method of manufacturing of an imager and an imager device are shown and depicted.

A semiconductor device is provided that includes an array of imaging cells realized from a plurality of layers formed on a substrate, wherein the plurality of layers includes at least one modulation doped quantum well structure spaced from at least one quantum dot structure. Each respective imaging cell includes an imaging region spaced from a corresponding charge storage region. The at least one quantum dot structure of the imaging region generates photocurrent arising from absorption of incident electromagnetic radiation. The at least one modulation doped quantum well structure defines a buried channel for lateral transfer of the photocurrent for charge accumulation in the charge storage region and output therefrom. The at least one modulation doped quantum well structure and the at least one quantum dot structure of each imaging cell can be disposed within a resonant cavity that receives the incident electromagnetic radiation or below a structured metal film having a periodic array of holes.

A solid state imaging device including a semiconductor layer comprising a plurality of photodiodes, a first antireflection film located over a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a second antireflection film located over the first antireflection film, a light shielding layer having side surfaces which are adjacent to at least one of first and the second antireflection film.

Structures and techniques introduced here enable the design and fabrication of photodetectors (PDs) and/or other electronic circuits using typical semiconductor device manufacturing technologies meanwhile reducing the adverse impacts on PDs' performance. Examples of the various structures and techniques introduced here include, but not limited to, a pre-PD homogeneous wafer bonding technique, a pre-PD heterogeneous wafer bonding technique, a post-PD wafer bonding technique, their combinations, and a number of mirror equipped PD structures. With the introduced structures and techniques, it is possible to implement PDs using typical direct growth material epitaxy technology while reducing the adverse impact of the defect layer at the material interface caused by lattice mismatch.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a device layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, reflective structures, a composite grid structure, a passivation layer and color filters. The device layer is disposed on the substrate, in which trenches are formed in the device layer and the substrate. The anti-reflective coating layer conformally covers the device layer, the substrate and the trenches. The reflective structures are disposed on the anti-reflective coating layer in the trenches respectively. The composite grid structure overlies the anti-reflective coating layer and the reflective structures. The composite grid structure includes cavities passing through the composite grid structure, and the composite grid structure includes a metal grid layer and a dielectric grid layer sequentially stacked on the reflective structures. The passivation layer conformally covers the composite grid structure. The color filters respectively fill the cavities.