An image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion portion providing a recessed region, a transfer gate provided in the recessed region, and a floating diffusion region adjacent the transfer gate. The transfer gate includes a first pattern and a second pattern, which are sequentially stacked in the recessed region and have different conductivity types from each other.

An image sensor includes a substrate having adjacent pixel regions and respective photodiode regions therein, and a pixel separation portion including a trench extending into the substrate between the adjacent pixel regions. The trench includes a conductive common bias line therein and an insulating device isolation layer between the common bias line and surfaces of the trench. A conductive interconnection is coupled to the common bias line and is configured to provide a negative voltage thereto. Related fabrication methods are also discussed.

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including: a pixel section configured to include a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, the plurality of pixels performing photoelectric conversion; column signal lines configured to transmit pixel signals output from the pixels in units of columns; an AD converting section configured to include a comparator that compares a reference signal serving as a ramp wave with the pixel signals transmitted via the column signal line and convert a reference level and a signal level of the pixel signals into digital signals independently based on a comparison result of the comparator; a switch configured to be connected with the column signal lines; and a control section configured to turn on the switch only during a certain period of time in a period of time in which the comparator is reset and cause the column signal lines to be short-circuited.

A pixel sensor device is disclosed. The device includes a shallow trench isolation structure, a well region and a backside isolation structure. The well region and diode region is adjacent to the shallow trench isolation structure. The backside isolation structure is self-aligned with and arranged over the shallow trench isolation structure. The backside isolation structure is adjacent to the diode region.

An immersion lithographic arrangement is disclosed that compensates for immersion tool drift.

A semiconductor device capable of reducing a substrate bias effect and an imaging device using the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first field effect transistor provided in a semiconductor substrate. The first field effect transistor includes a semiconductor region in which a channel is formed, a gate electrode that covers the semiconductor region, a gate insulating film disposed between the semiconductor region and the gate electrode, an n-type source region provided in the semiconductor substrate, and an n-type drain region provided in the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor region includes an upper surface, a first side surface located on one side of the upper surface in a gate width direction of the gate electrode, and a second side surface located on the other side of the upper surface in the gate width direction. The gate electrode includes a first portion facing the upper surface across the gate insulating film, a second portion facing the first side surface across the gate insulating film, and a third portion facing the second side surface across the gate insulating film. A conductivity type of the semiconductor region is n-type.

An image sensing device includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels consecutively arranged and structured to generate an electrical signal in response to incident light by performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light. The unit pixels are isolated from each other by first device isolation structures. Each of the unit pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element structured to generate photocharges by performing photoelectric conversion of the incident light, a floating diffusion region structured to receive the photocharges, a transfer transistor structured to transfer the photocharges generated by the photoelectric conversion element to the floating diffusion region, and a well tap region structured to apply a bias voltage to a well region. The well tap region is disposed at a center portion of a corresponding unit pixel.

An image sensor includes pixels, each including two photodiodes arranged side-by-side in a first direction, a deep trench isolation structure, a floating diffusion region, and transfer gates. The deep trench isolation structure includes an inner structure that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and that separates the two PDs of pixel from each other in the first direction, and an outer structure that extends in the first and second directions and that separates the pixels from each other in the first and second directions. The floating diffusion region is arranged between a center portion of the outer structure extending in the first direction and an edge of the inner structure. The transfer gates are disposed adjacent to the floating diffusion region such that one or more transfer gates are disposed on each photodiode. For each pixel, the two photodiodes share the floating diffusion region.

A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a mode-switching switch section that, in a first mode, electrically couples a first signal path to a photoelectric conversion section and electrically decouples a second signal path from the photoelectric conversion section, and that, in a second mode, electrically couples both of the first signal path and the second signal path to the photoelectric conversion section. At least the photoelectric conversion section is formed in a first substrate, and at least a second amplification transistor is formed in a second substrate, among the first substrate and the second substrate stacked on each other.

Provided is a photoelectric conversion device including a pixel array including a first pixel and a second pixel. The first pixel includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type as a charge accumulation layer and photoelectrically converts incident light to generate a signal in accordance with the incident light, and the second pixel includes a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and a transistor including a first main electrode formed by a third semiconductor region connected to the second semiconductor region and a gate.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an image sensor. The image sensor includes a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure disposed in a substrate. A pixel region of the substrate is disposed within an inner perimeter of the DTI structure. A photodetector is disposed in the pixel region of the substrate. A gate electrode structure overlies, at least partially, the pixel region of the substrate. A first gate dielectric structure partially overlies the pixel region of the substrate. A second gate dielectric structure partially overlies the pixel region of the substrate. The gate electrode structure overlies both a portion of the first gate dielectric structure and a portion of the second gate dielectric structure. The first gate dielectric structure has a first thickness. The second gate dielectric structure has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.