An imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, the semiconductor substrate including a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix, and a plurality of photoelectric converters that each generates, through photoelectric conversion, electric charge corresponding to an amount of received light for each of the pixels; a plurality of color filters provided on a side of the first surface in respective ones of the plurality of pixels; a plurality of condensing lenses provided on a light incident side of the plurality of color filters in the respective ones of the plurality of pixels; and a separation wall provided between the plurality of color filters adjacent to each other on the side of the first surface, the separation wall having a line width on the light incident side narrower than the line width of the separation wall on the side of the first surface.

An image sensor includes: a first substrate including: a first side, a second side, a pixel array region, and an edge region; and a micro lens array on the second side, which includes micro lenses. Each of the micro lenses includes a first lens layer and a second lens layer on the first lens layer. A second mean curvature radius of the second lens layer is smaller than a first mean curvature radius of the first lens layer. A first eccentric degree of the second lens layer on an edge of the pixel array region is greater than a second eccentric degree of the second lens layer at a center of the pixel array region.

A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a stacked photoelectric converter for each of pixels. The stacked photoelectric converter has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements stacked therein. The plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each has different wavelength selectivity. This solid-state imaging device further includes a plurality of data output lines from which pixel signals based on electric charges outputted from the photoelectric conversion elements are outputted. A plurality of data output lines is provided for each predetermined unit pixel column. The plurality of the data output lines is equal in number to an integer multiple of the photoelectric conversion elements stacked in the stacked photoelectric converter.

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.

An image sensor includes a first photodiode group, a second photodiode group, a first transfer transistor group, a second transfer transistor group, a floating diffusion region of a substrate in which electric charges generated in the first photodiode group are stored, and a power supply node for applying a power supply voltage to the second photodiode group. A barrier voltage is applied to at least one transfer transistor of the second transfer transistor group. The power supply voltage allows electric charges, generated in the second photodiode group, to migrate to the power supply node, and the barrier voltage forms a potential barrier between the second photodiode group and the floating diffusion region.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a patterned hard mask layer on a semiconductor substrate; performing a first etching process to form a recess in an exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate, using a first etchant that includes a first halogen species; performing a second etching process using a second etchant that includes a second halogen species, such that the second halogen species forms a barrier layer in the semiconductor substrate, surrounding the recess; and growing a detection region in the recess using an epitaxial growth process. The barrier layer is configured to reduce diffusion of the first halogen species into the detection region.

A semiconductor device includes a pixel array comprising a first pixel and a second pixel. The semiconductor device includes a metal structure overlying a portion of a substrate between the first pixel and the second pixel. The semiconductor device includes a first barrier layer adjacent a sidewall of the metal structure. The semiconductor device includes a passivation layer adjacent a sidewall of the first barrier layer. The first barrier layer is between the passivation layer and the metal structure.

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first portion, and a pixel isolation portion provided in the substrate and configured to isolate unit pixels from each other. The pixel isolation portion includes a first filling insulation pattern extending from the first surface toward the second surface and having an air gap region, the first filling insulation pattern including a first sidewall and a second sidewall which is opposite to the first sidewall, a conductive structure including a first portion on the first sidewall, a second portion on the second sidewall, and a connection portion connecting the first portion and the second portion, and an insulating liner provided between the first portion and the substrate and between the second portion and the substrate.

Color router based photodiodes and integrated pixel circuit. In one embodiment, a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array are disposed in a semiconductor material. In some embodiments, each pixel comprises a plurality of photodiodes and a color router covering the plurality of photodiodes. In some embodiments, the plurality of pixels is configured to receive an incoming light through the color router. In some embodiments, the integrated pixel circuit includes a plurality of pixel circuits, where each pixel circuit is associated with a corresponding pixel of the plurality of pixels. In some embodiments, the pixel circuits are configured on a same horizontal plane as the plurality of photodiodes.

An image sensor may include pixel groups arranged in a Bayer pattern and a color separating lens array that separates incident light by wavelengths and concentrates the separated incident light on the pixels. The color separating lens array may include pixel corresponding groups, with each group having regions containing nanoposts in two layers. In each of the pixel corresponding groups in each of the two layers, there are a central group and a plurality of peripheral groups. The displacements of arrangement centers of the nanoposts in at least two of the peripheral groups have variations.