公开(公告)号：US20240387584A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-21

申请号：US18319073

申请日：2023-05-17

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Inventor： ChunHao LIN ,  Yun-Wei CHENG ,  Kuo-Cheng LEE ,  Chien Nan TU

IPC: H01L27/146

Abstract: A shielding structure of air gaps, formed on a grid structure between pixel sensors in a pixel array, reduces crosstalk. Efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio of the pixel sensors is increased because crosstalk is reduced. The shielding structure also increases quantum efficiency of the pixel array because the air gaps do not adsorb photons.

公开(公告)号：US20240355847A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18137291

申请日：2023-04-20

Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.

Inventor： Ming-Hsien YANG ,  Wei-Chih WENG ,  Chun-Wei CHIA ,  Chun-Hao CHOU ,  Tse Yu TU ,  Chien Nan TU ,  Chun-Liang LU ,  Kuo-Cheng LEE

IPC: H01L27/146

CPC classification number: H01L27/14621 ,  H01L27/14627 ,  H01L27/1463 ,  H01L27/14645 ,  H01L27/14685

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor includes a unit pixel array including a photodiode array, a color filter array, a micro-lens array, and a grid isolation structure laterally separating adjacent color filters. The grid isolation structure includes a first low-n grid, a second low-n grid underlying the first low-n grid, and a metal grid within the second low-n grid, the first low-n grid being narrower than the second low-n grid. The color filter array includes color filter matrixes, all color filter matrixes have the same arrangement pattern. Sizes of color filters in each color filter matrix vary depending on locations of the color filters in the color filter matrix. In an edge portion, a distance between a center of a color filter matrix and a center of a corresponding unit pixel matrix in plan view varies depending on a location of the unit pixel matrix in the CMOS image sensor.

公开(公告)号：US20240274636A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-15

申请号：US18169642

申请日：2023-02-15

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Inventor： Ming-Hsien YANG ,  Chun-Hao CHOU ,  Kuo-Cheng LEE ,  Chien Nan TU ,  Chun-Wei CHIA ,  Tse-Yu TU ,  Ya-Min HUNG ,  Cheng-Hao CHIU ,  Chun-Liang LU

IPC: H01L27/146

CPC classification number: H01L27/1463 ,  H01L27/14621 ,  H01L27/14627 ,  H01L27/14634 ,  H01L27/14645 ,  H01L27/14685 ,  H01L27/14689

Abstract: A pixel sensor array of an image sensor device described herein may include a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure that includes a plurality of DTI portions that extend into a substrate of the image sensor device. Two or more subsets of the plurality of DTI portions may extend around photodiodes of a pixel sensor of the pixel sensor array, and may extend into the substrate to different depths. The different depths enable the photocurrents generated by the photodiodes to be binned and used to generate unified photocurrent. In particular, the different depths enable photons to intermix in the photodiodes, which enables quadradic phase detection (QPD) binning for increased PDAF performance. The increased PDAF performance may include increased autofocus speed, increased high dynamic range, increased quantum efficiency (QE), and/or increased full well conversion (FWC), among other examples.