In a semiconductor device in which a plurality of light receiving elements are provided in each of a plurality of pixels that form a solid-state image sensor, a decrease in the performance of the semiconductor device is prevented, the decrease occurring due to an increase in the number of wires. In the pixel having a first photodiode and a second photodiode, a first transfer transistor coupled to the first photodiode and a second transfer transistor coupled to the second photodiode are respectively controlled by the same gate electrode, thereby allowing the number of wires for controlling the first and the second transfer transistors is reduced.

A system and method for image sensing is disclosed. An embodiment comprises a substrate with a pixel region and a logic region. A first resist protect oxide (RPO) is formed over the pixel region, but not over the logic region. Silicide contacts are formed on the top of active devices formed in the pixel region, but not on the surface of the substrate in the pixel region, and silicide contacts are formed both on the top of active devices and on the surface of the substrate in the logic region. A second RPO is formed over the pixel region and the logic region, and a contact etch stop layer is formed over the second RPO. These layers help to reflect light back to the image sensor when light impinges the sensor from the backside of the substrate, and also helps prevent damage that occurs from overetching.

An imaging device that includes a substrate, a photoelectric conversion section disposed in the substrate, an element isolation region disposed adjacent to the photoelectric conversion section, a floating diffusion electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion section, an amplification transistor having a gate electrode and an active region, and a contact section disposed on the gate electrode of the amplification transistor. The contact section overlaps the active region of the amplification transistor. The floating diffusion is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the amplification transistor via the contact section. The width of the gate electrode of the amplification transistor is larger than a width of the active region of the amplification transistor. The photoelectric conversion section includes a first type impurity, and the element isolation region includes a second type impurity having a conductivity opposite to the first type impurity.

A solid-state image pickup device includes: a photoelectric conversion element including a charge accumulation region, the photoelectric conversion element performing photoelectric conversion on incident light and accumulating, in the charge accumulation region, electric charge obtained through the photoelectric conversion; a charge-voltage conversion element accumulating the electric charge obtained through the photoelectric conversion; and a charge accumulation element adjacent to the photoelectric conversion element, part or all of the charge accumulation element overlapping the charge accumulation region, and the charge accumulation element adding capacitance to capacitance of the charge-voltage conversion element.

There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate (21); a photodiode (11A, 11B) formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor (10) having a gate electrode (14) part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer (13) provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.

The present invention provides a solid-state imaging device conforming to different data transmission modes. A driver in a CMOS sensor includes a single-end driver which is provided in correspondence with two output terminals, activated in a parallel transmission mode, and outputs a corresponding data signal as a single-end signal to a corresponding output terminal; a serializer which is activated in a serial transmission mode and outputs a plurality of data signals which are supplied in parallel, serially one by one, and a differential driver which is activated in the serial transmission mode and outputs each of data signals output from the serializer as a differential signal to the output terminals.

An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels. Each pixel may have a photodiode, a floating diffusion node, and a charge transferring transistor. The charge transferring transistor may be a dual gate transistor having first and second gate terminals. A suitable bias may be applied to the second gate terminal to alter the capacitance of the floating diffusion node. The amount of electrons that may be accommodated by the floating diffusion node may be altered with application of a varying voltage level bias at the second gate terminal. By implementing a dual gate transistor, dynamic range compression and anti-blooming charge overflow may be implemented directly in the pixel to reduce image sensor pixel size and cost.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus, a manufacturing method therefor, and an electronic apparatus by which fine pixel signals can be suitably generated.

A charge accumulation section that is formed on a first semiconductor substrate and accumulates photoelectrically converted charges, a charge-retaining section that is formed on a second semiconductor substrate and retains charges accumulated in the charge accumulation section, and a transfer transistor that is formed on the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate and transfers charges accumulated in the charge accumulation section to the charge-retaining section are provided. A bonding interface between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate is formed in a channel of the transfer transistor.

An image sensor includes a substrate including an active region defined by a device isolation layer, a photoelectric conversion layer in the substrate, a floating diffusion region in the substrate at an edge of the active region, and a transfer gate on the active region. The transfer gate is in contact with a portion of the device isolation layer adjacent the active region.

There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including: a semiconductor substrate (21); a photodiode (11A, 11B) formed in the semiconductor substrate; a transistor (10) having a gate electrode (14) part or all of which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate, the transistor being configured to read a signal electric charge from the photodiode via the gate electrode; and an electric charge transfer layer (13) provided between the gate electrode and the photodiode.