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.

Disclosed is a SPAD pixel for a backside illuminated image sensor. More particularly, the SPAD pixel may improve sensitivity to long wavelengths by maximizing the depth of a PN junction in an epitaxial layer in the SPAD substrate.

The present disclosure relates to a camera module capable of achieving a smaller height, a method of manufacturing a camera module, an imaging apparatus, and an electronic apparatus. An imaging device having its imaging surface bonded to a provisional substrate is attached, and the imaging device in that state is joined to a substrate via an electrode having a TSV structure. After the provisional substrate is detached, an IR cut filter (IRCF) on which a light blocking film is printed or jet-dispensed in a region other than the effective pixel region is bonded to the imaging surface via a transparent resin. Because of this, there is no need to provide any sealing glass in the stage before the imaging surface, and the optical length of the lens can be shortened. Thus, a smaller height can be achieved. The present disclosure can be applied to camera modules.

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.

Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection utilizing a thermal radiation detection system are provided. The thermal radiation detection system includes one or more mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)-based photodiode infrared detectors or Indium Antimonide (InSb)-based photodiode infrared detectors and a temperature sensing circuit. The temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate signals correlated to the temperatures of one or more of the plurality of infrared sensor elements. The thermal radiation detection system also includes a signal processing circuit.

The invention relates to colour-image sensors. To benefit both from a good luminance resolution and a colour accuracy that is not excessively degraded by the sensitivity of silicon to near-infrared radiation, the invention proposes to produce a mosaic of pixels comprising coloured pixels (R), (G), (B), coated with colour filters, which are distributed in the matrix, with white pixels (T) not coated with colour filters and which are distributed in the matrix. The coloured pixels include photodiodes constructed differently from the photodiodes of the white pixels, the different construction being such that the photodiodes of the coloured pixels have a lower sensitivity to infrared radiation than the photodiodes of the white pixels.

A method for fabricating an image sensor array having a first group of photodiodes for detecting light at visible wavelengths a second group of photodiodes for detecting light at infrared or near-infrared wavelengths, the method including forming a germanium-silicon layer for the second group of photodiodes on a first semiconductor donor wafer; defining a first interconnect layer on the germanium-silicon layer; defining integrated circuitry for controlling pixels of the image sensor array on a semiconductor carrier wafer; defining a second interconnect layer on the semiconductor carrier wafer; bonding the first interconnect layer with the second interconnect layer; defining the pixels of an image sensor array on a second semiconductor donor wafer; defining a third interconnect layer on the image sensor array; and bonding the third interconnect layer with the germanium-silicon layer.

A decrease in sensitivity of distance measurement is reduced. A light receiving element includes a first voltage application unit and a second voltage application unit, a first charge detection unit, and a second charge detection unit. The first voltage application unit and the second voltage application unit are configured in linear shapes extending in the same direction on the surface of the semiconductor substrate that performs photoelectric conversion of the incident light, are arranged apart from each other, and are provided with proximity portions and applied with different voltages. The first charge detection unit is arranged around the first voltage application unit on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and detects a charge generated by photoelectric conversion. The second charge detection unit is arranged around the second voltage application unit on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and detects a charge generated by photoelectric conversion.

A photodetector including: a semiconductor substrate including therein a photoelectric conversion section; a scattering structure provided cyclically on the semiconductor substrate on a side of an incident surface of light; and a prism-shaped on-chip lens provided further on the scattering structure on a side of an incident surface of the light, and having a planar incident surface of the light.

A sensing device includes a light-transmissible substrate, a light-transmissible electrode unit connected thereto, including multiple electrically independent electrode lines, and a light sensing unit connected to the light-transmissible substrate and the light-transmissible electrode unit. The light sensing unit includes a plurality of light sensors for sensing a light transmitted from the light-transmissible substrate. The light sensors are confined within the light-transmissible electrode unit and are electrically connectable to an outer component through the light-transmissible electrode unit.