Semiconductor devices, image sensors, and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a high dielectric constant (k) insulating material disposed over a workpiece, the high k insulating material having a dielectric constant of greater than about 3.9. A barrier layer is disposed over the high k insulating material. A buffer oxide layer including a porous oxide film is disposed between the high k insulating material and the barrier layer. The porous oxide film has a first porosity, and the barrier layer or the high k insulating material has a second porosity. The first porosity is greater than the second porosity.

A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor with silicon and silicon germanium is provided. A silicon germanium layer abuts a silicon layer. A photodetector is arranged in the silicon germanium layer. A transistor is arranged on the silicon layer with a source/drain region that is buried in a surface of the silicon layer and that is electrically coupled to the photodetector. A method for manufacturing the CMOS image sensor is also provided.

A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor having a passivation layer is provided. The CMOS image sensor includes a sensing device substrate. Isolation structures are positioned within trenches of the sensing device substrate. The isolation structures are arranged along opposing sides of a plurality of image sensing devices. The CMOS image sensor also includes a passivation layer. The passivation layer includes passivation sidewalls arranged along the sidewalls of the isolation structures. A metallic grid overlies the passivation layer. The metallic grid includes a metal framework surrounding openings overlying the plurality of image sensing devices. The passivation layer further includes passivation section underlying the openings.

It is an object to provide a flexible light-emitting device with high reliability in a simple way. Further, it is an object to provide an electronic device or a lighting device each mounted with the light-emitting device. A light-emitting device with high reliability can be obtained with the use of a light-emitting device having the following structure: an element portion including a light-emitting element is interposed between a substrate having flexibility and a light-transmitting property with respect to visible light and a metal substrate; and insulating layers provided over and under the element portion are in contact with each other in the outer periphery of the element portion to seal the element portion. Further, by mounting an electronic device or a lighting device with a light-emitting device having such a structure, an electronic device or a lighting device with high reliability can be obtained.

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, an electronic apparatus, and a manufacturing method that are designed to further increase conversion efficiency.

A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel in which element separation is realized by a first trench element separation region having a trench structure in a region between an FD unit and an amplifying transistor among element separation elements separating the elements constituting the pixel from one another, and a second trench element separation region having a trench structure in a region other than the region between the FD unit and the amplifying transistor among the element separation regions separating the elements constituting the pixel from one another, and the first trench element separation region is deeper than the second trench element separation region. The present technology can be applied to CMOS image sensors, for example.

A method includes performing an anisotropic etching on a semiconductor substrate to form a trench. The trench has vertical sidewalls and a rounded bottom connected to the vertical sidewalls. A damage removal step is performed to remove a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate, with the surface layer exposed to the trench. The rounded bottom of the trench is etched to form a slant straight bottom surface. The trench is filled to form a trench isolation region in the trench.

In a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of pixels each pixel including a plurality of photodiodes, it is prevented that an incidence angle of incident light on the solid-state imaging device becomes large in a pixel in an end of the solid-state imaging device, causing a difference in output between the two photodiodes in the pixel, and thus autofocus detection accuracy is deteriorated. Photodiodes extending in a longitudinal direction of a pixel allay section are provided in each pixel. The photodiodes in the pixel are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the pixel allay section.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer; an insulation member layer formed on the first semiconductor layer; a transistor disposed in an upper portion of the insulation member layer; a first interlayer insulation film covering the transistor; a layered member including a wiring layer formed on the first interlayer insulation film and a second interlayer insulation film; and a first penetrating electrode penetrating through the insulation member layer, the first interlayer insulation film, and the layered member. The first penetrating electrode is electrically connected only to the first semiconductor layer.

There is provided an imaging device that includes photovoltaic type pixels that have photoelectric conversion regions generating photovoltaic power for each pixel depending on irradiation light; and an element isolation region that is provided between the photoelectric conversion regions of adjacent pixels and in a state of substantially surrounding the photoelectric conversion region.

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a substrate, a first interlayer insulating layer, a first metal line, and a shielding structure. The substrate includes a pixel array, a peripheral circuit area, and an interface area disposed between the pixel array and the peripheral circuit area. The first interlayer insulating layer is formed on a first surface of the substrate. The first metal line is disposed on the first interlayer insulating layer of the pixel array. The second interlayer insulating layer is disposed on the first interlayer insulating layer wherein the second interlayer insulating layer covers the first metal line. The shielding structure passes through the substrate in the interface area wherein the shielding structure electrically insulates the pixel array of the substrate and the peripheral circuit area.