The present invention is applied to an image pickup apparatus for which, for example, a CMOS solid-state image pickup element is used. One screen image is divided into a plurality of blocks, and a motion is detected for each of the blocks to control the exposure time of the block.

A solid state imaging device including a semiconductor layer comprising a plurality of photodiodes, a first antireflection film located over a first surface of the semiconductor layer, a second antireflection film located over the first antireflection film, a light shielding layer having side surfaces which are adjacent to at least one of first and the second antireflection film.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method in which a functional layer is formed over an upper semiconductor surface of a semiconductor substrate, and a capping layer is formed over the functional layer. A first etchant is used to form a recess through the capping layer and through the functional layer. The recess has a first depth and exposes a portion of the semiconductor substrate there through. A protective layer is formed along a lower surface and inner sidewalls of the recess. A second etchant is used to remove the protective layer from the lower surface of the recess and to extend the recess below the upper semiconductor surface to a second depth to form a deep trench. To prevent etching of the functional layer, the protective layer remains in place along the inner sidewalls of the recess while the second etchant is used.

An image-sensor structure is provided. The image-sensor structure includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and including a sensing area, a first metal layer formed above the first surface of the substrate and surrounding the sensing area, and a protection layer formed above the first surface of the substrate and overlying the sensing area and a part of the first metal layer to expose an exposed area of the first metal layer. The exposed area includes a first portion having a first width, a second portion having a second width, a third portion having a third width and a fourth portion having a fourth width.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, light-sensing devices and a bonding layer. The substrate overlies the carrier, and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The substrate includes recesses in the second surface, and surfaces of each of the recesses are wet etched surfaces. The light-sensing devices are disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The bonding layer is disposed between the substrate and the carrier.

A solid state imaging device having a light sensing section that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light includes: an insulating layer formed on a light receiving surface of the light sensing section; a layer having negative electric charges formed on the insulating layer; and a hole accumulation layer formed on the light receiving surface of the light sensing section.

An imaging apparatus that forms an image of a light beam transmitted through an imaging lens on an imaging element includes a laminated material that is provided on the imaging element, the light beam being transmitted through the laminated material, the laminated material being provided at a position at which an end portion of an upper surface of the laminated material allows an outermost light beam out of light beams to be transmitted therethrough, the light beams entering a pixel in an outer end portion of the imaging element in an effective pixel area, the position having a width Hopt.

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converting light taken by a lens; and a light shielding member shielding part of light incident on the solid-state imaging device from the lens, wherein an angle made between an edge surface of the light shielding member and an optical axis direction of the lens is larger than an incident angle of light to be incident on an edge portion of the light shielding member.

A gate electrode of a field effect transistor is formed. Next, an offset spacer film with a double-layer structure including a silicon oxide film as a lower-layer film and a silicon nitride film as an upper-layer film is formed on a sidewall surface of the gate electrode. The silicon nitride film serves as a supply source of an element for terminating dangling bonds of silicon in a device formation region. Next, treatment for leaving the offset spacer film intact or treatment for removing the silicon nitride film of the offset spacer film is performed. Thereafter, a sidewall insulating film is formed on the sidewall surface of the gate electrode.

A P-type well is defined by an isolation region formed in a semiconductor substrate. A pixel region and a ground region are defined in the P-type well. In the pixel region, a pixel transistor region and a photodiode region having a photodiode formed therein are defined. An antireflection film is formed so as to cover at least the photodiode region and the ground region. A plug connected to the ground region is formed so as to extend through the antireflection film and the like.