An image pickup device which suppresses an increase in chip area of peripheral circuits without degrading the performance of a pixel section and makes it possible to prevent costs from being increased. The image pickup device includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate. A pixel section includes photo diodes each for generate electric charges by photoelectric conversion, floating diffusions each for temporarily storing the electric charges generated by the photo diode, and amplifiers each connected to the floating diffusion, for outputting a signal dependent on a potential of the associated floating diffusion. Column circuits are connected to vertical signal lines, respectively, for performing predetermined processing on signals output from the pixel section to vertical signal lines.

An active pixel sensor (APS) with a vertical transfer gate and a pixel transistor (e.g., a transfer transistor, a source follower transistor, a reset transistor, or a row select transistor) electrically isolated by an implant isolation region is provided. A semiconductor substrate has a photodetector buried therein. The vertical transfer gate extends into the semiconductor substrate with a channel region in electrical communication with the photodetector. The pixel transistor is arranged over the photodetector and configured to facilitate the pixel operation (e.g., reset, signal readout, etc.). The implant isolation region is arranged in the semiconductor substrate and surrounds and electrically isolates the pixel transistor. A method for manufacturing the APS is also provided.

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.

An image sensor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The image sensor structure includes a substrate having a front side and a backside and a light-sensing region formed in the substrate. The image sensor structure further includes a front side isolation structure formed at the front side of the substrate and a backside isolation structure formed at the back side of the substrate.

Provided is a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The CMOS image sensor can include a substrate having a first device isolation layer defining and dividing a first active region and a second active region, a photodiode disposed in the substrate and can be configured to vertically overlap the first device isolation layer, a transfer gate electrode can be disposed in the first active region and can be configured to vertically overlap the photodiode, and a floating diffusion region can be in the first active region. The transfer gate electrode can be buried in the substrate.

A solid-state image pickup device includes a semiconductor substrate in which photoelectric conversion units are arranged. An insulator is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has holes associated with the respective photoelectric conversion units. Members are arranged in the respective holes. A light-shielding member is disposed on the opposite side of one of the members from the semiconductor substrate, such that only the associated photoelectric conversion unit is shielded from light. In the solid-state image pickup device, the holes are simultaneously formed and the members are simultaneously formed.

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions each provided in a semiconductor substrate and receives incident light through a light sensing surface, and a pixel separation portion provided to electrically separate a plurality of pixels. At least a pinning layer and a light shielding layer are provided in an inner portion of a trench provided on a side portion of each of the photoelectric conversion portions in an incident surface side, the trench includes a first trench and a second trench formed to be wider than the first trench in a portion shallower than the first trench, the pinning layer is formed in an inner portion of the first trench to cover an inside surface of the second trench, and the light shielding layer is formed to bury an inner portion of the second trench at least via the pinning layer.

An image sensor including a control circuit and a plurality of pixels, each pixel including: a photosensitive area, a substantially rectangular storage area adjacent to the photosensitive area, and a read area; first and second insulated vertical electrodes electrically connected to each other, opposite each other, and delimiting the storage area, the first electrode extending between the storage area and the photosensitive area, the second electrode including a bent extension opposite a first end of the first electrode, the storage area emerging onto the photosensitive area on the side of the first end, the control circuit being capable of applying a first voltage to the first and second electrodes to perform a charge transfer, and a second voltage to block said transfer.

Implementations of image sensors may include: a first die including a plurality of detectors adapted to convert photons to electrons; a second die including a plurality of transistors, passive electrical components, or both transistors and passive electrical components; a third die including analog circuitry, logic circuitry, or analog and logic circuitry. The first die may be hybrid bonded to the second die, and the second die may be fusion bonded to the third die. The plurality of transistors, passive electrical components, or transistors and passive electrical components of the second die may be adapted to enable operation of the plurality of detectors of the first die. The analog circuitry, logic circuitry, and analog circuitry and logical circuitry may be adapted to perform signal routing.

Example embodiments relate to an image sensor supporting a global shutter for minimizing image distortion. An example image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; a photosensitive device, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the first surface and accumulates charges based on light incident via the second surface; a charge storage device, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the first surface and temporarily stores charges accumulated by the photosensitive device; a first transmission transistor, which transmits charges accumulated by the photosensitive device to the charge storage device and includes a first gate formed on the first surface of the semiconductor layer; and a leakage photogenerated charge drain region, which is formed in the semiconductor layer near the second surface, is apart from the charge storage device, and is arranged above the charge storage device.