Disclosed is an image sensor comprising a semiconductor substrate that includes first through fourth pixel regions, each including first through fourth photoelectric conversion sections, and a pixel separation structure disposed in the semiconductor substrate and separating the first through fourth pixel regions from each other. The second pixel region is spaced apart in a first direction from the first pixel region. The fourth pixel region is spaced apart in a second direction from the first pixel region. The second direction intersects the first direction. The semiconductor substrate includes first impurity sections disposed on corresponding central portions of the first through fourth pixel regions, and a second impurity section disposed between the second and fourth pixel regions. Impurities doped in the first impurity sections have a conductivity type different from that of impurities doped in the second impurity section.

An imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, the semiconductor substrate including a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix, and a plurality of photoelectric converters that each generates, through photoelectric conversion, electric charge corresponding to an amount of received light for each of the pixels; a plurality of color filters provided on a side of the first surface in respective ones of the plurality of pixels; a plurality of condensing lenses provided on a light incident side of the plurality of color filters in the respective ones of the plurality of pixels; and a separation wall provided between the plurality of color filters adjacent to each other on the side of the first surface, the separation wall having a line width on the light incident side narrower than the line width of the separation wall on the side of the first surface.

A light deflecting device and a distance measuring device in which spread of emission light is suppressed and an effective opening for light reception is enlarged are provided.

A light deflecting device including a plurality of waveguides that extends in a first direction in parallel to each other and is provided in a semiconductor layer, and is capable of emitting light to an external space of the semiconductor layer and receiving light from the external space, and an optical system that is provided on a substrate including the semiconductor layer and converts light deflected and emitted from the plurality of waveguides in the first direction into a light beam substantially parallel to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

An image sensor includes: a first substrate including: a first side, a second side, a pixel array region, and an edge region; and a micro lens array on the second side, which includes micro lenses. Each of the micro lenses includes a first lens layer and a second lens layer on the first lens layer. A second mean curvature radius of the second lens layer is smaller than a first mean curvature radius of the first lens layer. A first eccentric degree of the second lens layer on an edge of the pixel array region is greater than a second eccentric degree of the second lens layer at a center of the pixel array region.

A solid-state image sensor is provided. The solid-state image sensor includes photoelectric conversion units and modulation structures embedded in the photoelectric conversion units. The solid-state image sensor also includes isolation structures disposed between the photoelectric conversion units and a protective layer disposed on the photoelectric conversion units. From the top view of the solid-state image sensor, the photoelectric conversion units and the modulation structures form mosaic patterns, and the ratio of the area of one modulation structure to the area of the corresponding mosaic pattern is between 0.1 and 0.9.

An apparatus includes pixels on a substrate. Each pixel includes a first portion, a second, and a microlens. The substrate has a first surface on an incidence side and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and includes an inter-pixel portion isolating adjacent pixels from each other, and an intra-pixel portion isolating the first and second portions from each other. The inter-pixel portion includes a first region located adjacently to the first surface, and a second region located adjacently to the second surface. The intra-pixel portion includes a third region located adjacently to the first surface, and a fourth region located adjacently to the second surface. The first and third regions are shifted with respect to the second and fourth regions, respectively, in an identical direction that is a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the intra-pixel portion in plan view from the first surface.

The present disclosure relates to a CMOS image sensor, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the CMOS image sensor comprises a substrate and a transfer gate disposed from a front-side surface of the substrate. The CMOS image sensor further comprises a photo detecting column disposed at one side of the transfer gate within the substrate. The photo detecting column comprises a doped sensing layer comprising one or more recessed portions along a circumference of the doped sensing layer in parallel to the front-side surface of the substrate. By forming the photo detecting column with recessed portions, a junction interface is enlarged compared to a previous p-n junction interface without recessed portions, and thus a full well capacity of the photodiode structure is improved.

An image sensor includes a first photodiode group, a second photodiode group, a first transfer transistor group, a second transfer transistor group, a floating diffusion region of a substrate in which electric charges generated in the first photodiode group are stored, and a power supply node for applying a power supply voltage to the second photodiode group. A barrier voltage is applied to at least one transfer transistor of the second transfer transistor group. The power supply voltage allows electric charges, generated in the second photodiode group, to migrate to the power supply node, and the barrier voltage forms a potential barrier between the second photodiode group and the floating diffusion region.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a patterned hard mask layer on a semiconductor substrate; performing a first etching process to form a recess in an exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate, using a first etchant that includes a first halogen species; performing a second etching process using a second etchant that includes a second halogen species, such that the second halogen species forms a barrier layer in the semiconductor substrate, surrounding the recess; and growing a detection region in the recess using an epitaxial growth process. The barrier layer is configured to reduce diffusion of the first halogen species into the detection region.

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first portion, and a pixel isolation portion provided in the substrate and configured to isolate unit pixels from each other. The pixel isolation portion includes a first filling insulation pattern extending from the first surface toward the second surface and having an air gap region, the first filling insulation pattern including a first sidewall and a second sidewall which is opposite to the first sidewall, a conductive structure including a first portion on the first sidewall, a second portion on the second sidewall, and a connection portion connecting the first portion and the second portion, and an insulating liner provided between the first portion and the substrate and between the second portion and the substrate.