The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an image sensor integrated chip. The image sensor integrated chip includes a substrate having a pixel region arranged between one or more trenches formed by sidewalls of the substrate. One or more dielectric materials are arranged along the sidewalls of the substrate forming the one or more trenches. A conductive material is disposed within the one or more trenches. The conductive material is electrically coupled to an interconnect disposed within a dielectric arranged on the substrate.

An imaging device may include single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). To improve the sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of the SPADs, light scattering structures may be formed in the semiconductor substrate to increase the path length of incident light through the semiconductor substrate. To mitigate crosstalk, multiple rings of isolation structures may be formed around the SPAD. An outer deep trench isolation structure may include a metal filler such as tungsten and may be configured to absorb light. The outer deep trench isolation structure therefore prevents crosstalk between adjacent SPADs. Additionally, one or more inner deep trench isolation structures may be included. The inner deep trench isolation structures may include a low-index filler to reflect light and keep incident light in the active area of the SPAD.

Reflected light from a back-illuminated photoelectric conversion element is to be reduced. The photoelectric conversion element includes an on-chip lens, a substrate, a front-surface-side reflective film, and a back-surface-side reflective film. The on-chip lens condenses incident light. A photoelectric conversion unit that performs photoelectric conversion on the condensed incident light is disposed in the substrate, and the back surface side of the substrate is irradiated with the condensed incident light. The front-surface-side reflective film is disposed on the front surface side that is a different side from the back surface side of the substrate, and reflects transmitted light that is the incident light having passed through the photoelectric conversion unit. The back-surface-side reflective film is disposed on the back surface side of the substrate, has an opening of substantially the same size as the condensing size of the condensed incident light, and further reflects the reflected transmitted light.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging element and electronic equipment that allow an increase in the signal charge amount Qs that each pixel can accumulate. A solid-state imaging element according to the first aspect of the present technology includes: a photoelectric conversion section formed in each pixel; and an inter-pixel separation section separating the photoelectric conversion section of each pixel, in which the inter-pixel separation section includes a protruding section having a shape protruding toward the photoelectric conversion section. The present technology can be applied to a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, for example.

A radiation detector includes: a scintillator including a pair of end surfaces opposing each other in a first direction and one side surface coupling the pair of end surfaces; and a semiconductor photodetector including a semiconductor substrate. A length of the scintillator in the first direction is longer than a length of the scintillator in a second direction orthogonal to the one side surface. A length of the one side surface in the first direction is longer than a width of the one side surface in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The semiconductor substrate includes a photodetection region disposed in a first portion and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed in a second portion. The photodetection region includes a plurality of avalanche photodiodes arranged to operate in Geiger mode and a plurality of quenching resistors.

An optical blocking region formed with patterned metal reduces light reflection toward pixel sensors in a pixel sensor array. The optical blocking region may be formed of a metal nanoscale grid in order to reflect more light away from the pixel sensors. The optical blocking region may include a dielectric layer, supporting the patterned metal, with high absorption structures or shallow deep trench isolation structures in order to increase absorption and thus reduce light reflection toward the pixel sensors.

The present invention refers to a photosensitive pixel structure comprising a substrate with a front surface and a back surface, wherein at least one photosensitive diode is provided on one of the surfaces of the substrate. A first material layer is provided at least partially on the back surface of the substrate, wherein the material layer comprises a reflective layer, in order to increase a reflectivity at the back surface of the substrate. Further, the present invention refers to an array and an implant comprising such a photosensitive pixel structure, as well as to a method to produce the pixel structure.

A photoelectric conversion device is provided. The device includes: a semiconductor layer having a photoelectric conversion element; a wiring structure; and contact plug that connect the semiconductor layer and a wiring pattern arranged in a wiring layer closest to the semiconductor layer among wiring layers included in the wiring structure. A light reflecting layer through which the contact plug penetrate is arranged between the wiring layer and the semiconductor layer, and the light reflecting layer has a periodic structure in which a first layer constituted by one of a dielectric and a semiconductor and a second layer constituted by one of a dielectric and a semiconductor that are different from the first layer are periodically stacked.

An avalanche photodiode sensor according to an embodiment includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate bonded to a first surface of the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the first semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions arranged in a matrix and an element separation portion for element-separating the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions from each other, the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions include a first photoelectric conversion portion, the element separation portion has a first element separation region and a second element separation region, the first photoelectric conversion portion is arranged between the first element separation region and the second element separation region, the first semiconductor substrate further includes a plurality of concave-convex portions arranged on a second surface opposite to the first surface and arranged between the first element separation region and the second element separation region, and the second semiconductor substrate includes a reading circuit connected to each of the photoelectric conversion portions.

An image sensor includes an array of image pixels and black level correction (BLC) pixels. Each BLC pixel includes a BLC pixel photodetector, a BLC pixel sensing circuit, and a BLC pixel optics assembly configured to block light that impinges onto the BLC pixel photodetector. Each BLC pixel optics assembly may include a first portion of a layer stack including a vertically alternating sequence of first material layers having a first refractive index and second material layers having a second refractive index. Additionally or alternatively, each BLC pixel optics assembly may include a first portion of a layer stack including at least two metal layers, each having a respective wavelength sub-range having a greater reflectivity than another metal layer. Alternatively or additionally, each BLC pixel optics assembly may include an infrared blocking material layer that provides a higher absorption coefficient than color filter materials within image pixel optics assemblies.