Double patterning techniques described herein may reduce corner rounding, etch loading, and/or other defects that might otherwise arise during formation of a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure in a pixel array. The double patterning techniques include forming a first set of trenches in a first direction and forming a second set of trenches in a second direction in a plurality of patterning operations such that minimal to no etch loading and/or corner rounding is present at and/or near the intersections of the first set of trenches and the second set of trenches.

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate that includes at least one pixel having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements configured to receive light from a common microlens, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a first surface that is formed of light-receiving surfaces of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a second surface that faces the first surface, and the first surface has a concave shape, and at least a portion of the first surface is inclined with respect to the second surface.

A dual vertical transfer gate, a transistor including the same, and a CMOS image sensing device including the same. In some embodiments, a gate of the dual vertical transfer transistor may include a pair of poles, which are extended to an n-type region of a photodiode, and a connecting portion, which connects the paired poles to each other. A first insulating pattern may be provided between the poles and on the substrate.

An image sensor includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a buried transfer gate electrode arranged in a transfer gate trench extending from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the buried transfer gate electrode has an upper surface arranged at a level lower than that of the first surface of the semiconductor substrate with respect to the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a transfer gate spacer arranged on an upper sidewall of the transfer gate trench and on the buried transfer gate electrode.

Disclosed are image sensors and methods of fabricating the same. The image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a pixel zone and a pad zone and having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, a first pad separation pattern on the pad zone and extending from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate toward the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second pad separation pattern extending from the second surface toward the first surface of the semiconductor substrate on the pad zone the second pad and in contact with the first pad separation pattern, and a pixel separation pattern on the pixel zone and extending from the second surface of the semiconductor substrate toward the first surface of the semiconductor substrate.

The present disclosure relates to a CMOS image sensor, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the CMOS image sensor comprises a substrate and a transfer gate disposed from a front-side surface of the substrate. The CMOS image sensor further comprises a photo detecting column disposed at one side of the transfer gate within the substrate. The photo detecting column comprises a doped sensing layer comprising one or more recessed portions along a circumference of the doped sensing layer in parallel to the front-side surface of the substrate. By forming the photo detecting column with recessed portions, a junction interface is enlarged compared to a previous p-n junction interface without recessed portions, and thus a full well capacity of the photodiode structure is improved.

A solid-state imaging device includes: a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion element; and a second semiconductor substrate including at least a part of a peripheral circuit arranged in a main face of the second semiconductor substrate, the peripheral circuit generating a signal based on the charge of the photoelectric conversion element, a main face of the first semiconductor substrate and the main face of the second semiconductor substrate being opposed to each other with sandwiching a wiring structure therebetween; a pad to be connected to an external terminal; and a protection circuit electrically connected to the pad and to the peripheral circuit, wherein the protection circuit is arranged in the main face of the second semiconductor substrate.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an image sensor. The image sensor includes a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure disposed in a substrate. A pixel region of the substrate is disposed within an inner perimeter of the DTI structure. A photodetector is disposed in the pixel region of the substrate. A gate electrode structure overlies, at least partially, the pixel region of the substrate. A first gate dielectric structure partially overlies the pixel region of the substrate. A second gate dielectric structure partially overlies the pixel region of the substrate. The gate electrode structure overlies both a portion of the first gate dielectric structure and a portion of the second gate dielectric structure. The first gate dielectric structure has a first thickness. The second gate dielectric structure has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit light sensor device. The integrated circuit light sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate, as well as a plurality of first light-absorption regions and a plurality of second light-absorption regions located in the semiconductor substrate. Each of the first light-absorption regions includes an implantation region of the semiconductor substrate. The implantation region and the semiconductor substrate form at least a portion of a corresponding one of a plurality of first photodetectors for a first light wavelength band. Each of the second light-absorption regions includes a semiconductor material different from the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor material forms at least a portion of a corresponding one of a plurality of second photodetectors for a second light wavelength band different from the first light wavelength band.

An image sensor according to an embodiment includes a substrate having first and second surfaces facing each other, separated by a deep trench, and including a plurality of pixel regions; a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions disposed in the plurality of pixel regions; a blocking region disposed in the plurality of pixel regions; and a plurality of color filters and a plurality of micro lenses disposed on the second surface of the substrate. The blocking region is disposed adjacent to the second surface of the substrate, the blocking region includes a first element of a first type, and the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions include a second element of a second type different from the first type. The concentration of the first element on the second surface of the substrate in the blocking region is about 1E16/cm.sup.3 to about 1E18/cm.sup.3.