An imaging device with excellent imaging performance is provided. The imaging device has a first circuit including a first photoelectric conversion element and a second circuit including a second photoelectric conversion element. The second circuit is shielded from light. In the imaging device, a current mirror circuit in which a transistor connected to the second photoelectric conversion element serves as an input transistor and a transistor connected to the first photoelectric conversion element serves as an output transistor is formed. With such a configuration, the amount of photocurrent in the first circuit from which the contribution of the dark current of the first photoelectric conversion element has been excluded can be detected.

A change in electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device including an interlayer insulating film over a transistor including an oxide semiconductor as a semiconductor film is suppressed. The structure includes a first insulating film which includes a void portion in a step region formed by a source electrode and a drain electrode over the semiconductor film and contains silicon oxide as a component, and a second insulating film containing silicon nitride, which is provided in contact with the first insulating film to cover the void portion in the first insulating film. The structure can prevent the void portion generated in the first insulating film from expanding outward.

An image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element, including a first impurity region and a second impurity region, wherein the first impurity region contacts a first surface of a substrate, wherein the second impurity region has conductivity complementary to the first impurity region and is formed in the substrate and below the first impurity region; a pillar formed over the photoelectric conversion element; a transfer gate formed over the photoelectric conversion element to surround the pillar; and a channel layer formed between the transfer gate and the pillar and contacting the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the channel layer contacts the first impurity region and has the same conductivity as the second impurity region.

An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed in a semiconductor material and a plurality of transfer transistors. Individual transfer transistors in the plurality of transfer transistors are coupled to individual photodiodes in the plurality of photodiodes. A floating diffusion is also coupled to the plurality of transfer transistors to receive image charge from the plurality of photodiodes. The floating diffusion is coupled to receive a preset voltage, and the preset voltage is substantially equal a dark condition steady-state read voltage.

To provide an imaging device capable of high-speed reading. The imaging device includes a photodiode, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor. The back gate electrode of the first transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the first transistor and a potential lower than the source potential of the first transistor. The back gate electrode of the second transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the second transistor. The back gate electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the third transistor and a potential lower than the source potential of the third transistor.

An image sensor with a pinned photodiode includes a photodiode formed in a substrate by implanting dopants of a first type through one or more dielectric layers formed over the substrate. A pinning layer for the photodiode may be formed by implanting dopants of a second type through the same one or more dielectric layers. The pinning layer may be formed over a photodiode region of the substrate. The concentration of dopants of the second type may have a maximum value in dielectric layers over the photodiode that exceeds the concentration of dopants of the second type in the substrate below. The photodiode and pinning layer may both be formed by implanting ions of the first and second type respectively through a dielectric layer formed after etching away a portion of another dielectric layer, having a different thickness, and having different optical transmission properties than the another dielectric layer.

A low noise infrared photodetector has an epitaxial heterostructure that includes a photodiode and a transistor. The photodiode includes a high sensitivity narrow bandgap photodetector layer of first conductivity type, and a collection well of second conductivity type in contact with the photodetector layer. The transistor includes the collection well, a transfer well of second conductivity type that is spaced from the collection well and the photodetector layer, and a region of first conductivity type between the collection and transfer wells. The collection well and the transfer well are of different depths, and are formed by a single diffusion.

A method of manufacturing an image sensor device includes providing a substrate; forming a buffer layer on the substrate; forming a metal oxide channel on the buffer layer; forming a gate oxide layer on the buffer layer and the metal oxide channel; forming a gate metal layer on the gate oxide layer; forming a photodiode stack on the gate metal layer; patterning the gate oxide layer and the gate metal layer to form a first portion under the photodiode stack, and a second portion comprising a transistor; forming an interlayer dielectric layer over at least the photodiode stack and the transistor; forming a plurality of vias in the interlayer dielectric layer; and metalizing the vias to form contacts to the image sensor device.

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including a lamination-type backside illumination CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor having a global shutter function. The solid-state imaging device includes a separation film including one of a light blocking film and a light absorbing film between a memory and a photo diode.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device, a manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus, which can obtain high charge transfer efficiency from a photoelectric conversion unit to a floating diffusion layer. The floating diffusion layer is arranged in a rectangular shape so as to surround a gate electrode of a vertical transistor whose groove portion is rectangular. A reset drain is formed so as to be adjacent to the floating diffusion layer through a reset gate. A potential of the floating diffusion layer is reset to the same potential as that of the reset drain by applying a predetermined voltage to the reset gate. It is possible to apply the present disclosure to, for example, a CMOS solid-state image pickup device used in an image pickup device such as a camera.