Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method. In the method, a semiconductor substrate is received. A photodetector is formed in the semiconductor substrate. An interconnect structure is formed over the photodetector and over a frontside of the semiconductor substrate. A backside of the semiconductor substrate is thinned, the backside being furthest from the interconnect structure. A ring-shaped structure is formed so as to extend into the thinned backside of the semiconductor substrate to laterally surround the photodetector. A series of trench structures are formed to extend into the thinned backside of the semiconductor substrate. The series of trench structures are laterally surrounded by the ring-shaped structure and extend into the photodetector.

A semiconductor optical sensor (1) is provided with: a substrate (2) integrating a plurality of photodetector active areas (4); and a CMOS layer stack (6) arranged on the substrate (2) and including a number of dielectric (6a) and conductive (6b) layers. UV conversion regions (10) are arranged above a number of first photodetector active areas (4) to convert UV light radiation into visible light radiation towards the first photodetector active areas (4), so that the first photodetector active areas (4) are designed to detect UV light radiation. In particular, the first photodetector active areas (4) are alternated to a number of second photodetector active areas (4), designed to detect visible light radiation, in an array (15) of photodetection units (16) of the optical sensor (1), defining a single image detection area (15′), sensitive to both UV and visible light radiation with a same spatial resolution.

Photosensors may be formed on a front side of a semiconductor substrate. An optical refraction layer having a first refractive index may be formed on a backside of the semiconductor substrate. A grid structure including openings is formed over the optical refraction layer. A masking material layer is formed over the grid structure and the optical refraction layer. The masking material layer may be anisotropically etched using an anisotropic etch process that collaterally etches a material of the optical refraction layer and forms non-planar distal surface portions including random protrusions on physically exposed portions of the optical refraction layer. An optically transparent layer having a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index may be formed on the non-planar distal surface portions of the optical refraction layer. A refractive interface refracts incident light in random directions, and improves quantum efficiency of the photosensors.

An apparatus including a semiconductor substrate; an absorption layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the absorption layer including a photodiode region configured to absorb photons and to generate photo-carriers from the absorbed photons; one or more first switches controlled by a first control signal, the one or more first switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the first control signal; and one or more second switches controlled by a second control signal, the one or more second switches configured to collect at least a portion of the photo-carriers based on the second control signal, where the second control signal is different from the first control signal.

A hybrid sensor shift platform for an optical image stabilization (OIS) actuator mechanism in compact camera modules includes two or more substrates. A top substrate is composed of an organic material (e.g., a resin) to reduce mass, reduce magnetic interaction with permanent magnets, and improve reliability. One or more lower substrates of the hybrid sensor shift platform are ceramic substrates that provide the benefits of ceramics for connection to the image sensor. The organic substrate is connected via a solder bond process to the lower ceramic substrate(s). The connection between the substrates is reinforced with an under-fill of epoxy that surrounds the solder bonds, thus creating a full interface between the substrates within the overlap.

A method for manufacturing a back-illuminated solid-state imaging device includes a first step of preparing a first conduction-type semiconductor layer having a front surface and a back surface, a second step of forming a first asperity region on the front surface of the semiconductor layer by selectively etching the front surface of the semiconductor layer, a third step of forming a second asperity region on the front surface of the semiconductor layer by smoothening asperities of the first asperity region, and a fourth step of forming an insulating layer along the second asperity region and forming a plurality of charge transfer electrodes on the insulating layer.

An image sensor includes: a pixel substrate that includes a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion executed on light having entered therein and an output unit that generates a signal based upon the electric charge and outputs the signal; and an arithmetic operation substrate that is laminated on the pixel substrate and includes an operation unit that generates a corrected signal by using a reset signal generated after the electric charge in the output unit is reset and a photoelectric conversion signal generated based upon an electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit and executes an arithmetic operation by using corrected signals each generated in correspondence to one of the pixels.

An image sensing device includes a substrate layer in which an array of photoelectric conversion elements is formed, grid structures disposed over the substrate layer to divide space above the substrate into different sensing regions, each grid structure including an air layer, color filters formed to fill bottom portions of spaces between the grid structures, the color filters having a higher refractive index than the air layer, and a lens layer disposed over the grid structures and the color filters such that part of the lens layer fills top portions of the spaces between the grid structures, the lens layer having a higher refractive index than of the color filters.

A CMOS image sensor with an imaging array of pixels containing selected pixels wherein illumination is blocked and light scattered from an adjacent pixel is collected. The signal from the selected pixels is resilient against saturation and thereby contributes to increased dynamic range of the imaging signal. The image sensor may be incorporated within a digital camera.

An image sensor is disclosed. In some implementations, the image sensor includes a substrate including one or more photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the substrate and structured to convert light into electrical signals representing an image carried by the light, and a plurality of metal layers arranged at different distances from a surface of the substrate and located below the one or more photoelectric conversion elements, each of the metal layers including one or more metal patterns. The one or more metal patterns of the plurality of metal layers are arranged in a concave shape facing the photoelectric conversion element such that incident light reflected by metal layers converges toward the photoelectric conversion element.