Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes: a device having a terminal; and a protection circuit configured to be connected to the terminal of the device, the protection circuit including at least two unidirectional conduction circuits connected in anti-parallel, the two unidirectional conduction circuits configured to have current directions opposite to each other in an on state, wherein the protection circuit is so configured that, at least one of the two unidirectional conduction circuits is turned on to release charges accumulated at the terminal when a voltage at the terminal of the device is out of a predetermined protection voltage range

Abstract: A pixel array element having an isolation structure, comprising a plurality of groups of pixel cells each including a plurality of pixel cells having different colors, wherein the pixel cells having different colors are alternately arranged such that each pixel cell has a different color from an adjacent pixel cell, and an isolation structure located between the adjacent pixel cells and formed of a color filter material, wherein the color filter material of the isolation structure has a color different from that of the adjacent pixel cell.

Abstract: An image sensor includes: a pixel, which includes a radiation sensing element, and an isolation structure between adjacent pixels configured to converge radiation propagating in the isolation structure to reduce radiation crosstalk between adjacent pixels.

Abstract: A wafer bonding method comprises providing a first wafer and a second wafer, the first wafer having a first metal layer and a first insulating layer at a first surface thereof, the second wafer having a second metal layer and a second insulating layer at a first surface thereof, the first metal layer and the second metal layer comprising a same metal material; pretreating one or both of the first wafer and the second wafer, so that whiskers of the metal material are formed at a surface or surfaces of the one or both of the first metal layer and the second metal layer; and bonding the first metal layer and the second metal layer in a manner that the first metal layer and the second metal layer face each other, to bond the first wafer and the second wafer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an image sensor comprises: forming a trench around a photodiode, wherein the photodiode comprises a first doped region with a first conductivity type dopant formed in a semiconductor substrate with a second conductivity type dopant; forming a covering portion in the trench, the covering portion with the second conductivity type dopant covering at least a portion of a sidewall or a bottom wall of the trench, wherein a doping concentration of the covering portion is higher than a doping concentration of the semiconductor substrate; and diffusing the second conductivity type dopant in the covering portion into the semiconductor substrate so as to form a second doped region with the second conductivity type dopant surrounding the at least a portion of the sidewall or the bottom wall of the trench.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a substrate including a logic region and a pixel region, wherein the logic region is configured to form at least a portion of an active logic device therein, the pixel region is configured to form a pixel unit therein, the pixel unit including at least a photosensitive element, wherein an upper surface of the logic region is lower than an upper surface of the pixel region.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a substrate, a black pixel area formed in the substrate including a black pixel radiation sensing element. an active pixel area formed in the substrate, and a buffer area, wherein the black pixel area and the active pixel area sandwich the buffer area in a transverse direction of the substrate, and a first blocking wall that at least partially blocks the radiation propagating towards the black pixel radiation sensing element via the buffer area in the substrate is formed in the buffer area.

Abstract: An image sensor may include a semiconductor substrate in which a photodiode is formed; a metal interconnection layer located above the semiconductor substrate; and an absorption layer located between the semiconductor substrate and the metal interconnection layer, wherein the absorption layer is configured to absorb light travelling through the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a semiconductor substrate and a trench isolation structure that is formed in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the trench isolation structure sequentially includes, from an outer portion to an inner portion of the trench isolation structure, a first oxide layer, a nitride layer, a second oxide layer and a semiconductor material layer that respectively extend in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate, such that a semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor structure is formed from the semiconductor substrate to the inner portion of the trench isolation structure via the outer portion of the trench isolation structure.

Abstract: A stacked semiconductor device including a first substrate, a first insulating layer located on the first substrate, a second insulating layer located on the first insulating layer, a second substrate located on the second insulating layer, an external connection via extending through the second substrate in a first direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the second substrate and exposing an external connection pad, the external connection pad being located in the first insulating layer or the second insulating layer, and a protective ring formed in the second insulating layer and arranged to at least partially surround a sidewall of the external connection via with the first direction as an axial direction, but not to be exposed from the sidewall of the external connection via.

Abstract: A stacked TSV structure comprises: a logic region in which a first metal wiring layer is formed, a pixel region located on the logic region, in which a second metal wiring layer is formed, and a through-silicon via including a first via penetrating from the first metal wiring layer upward through the logic region to the second metal wiring layer, wherein a contact is filled and formed in the through-silicon via, the contact contacting the first metal wiring layer and the second metal wiring layer, thereby electrically connecting the first metal wiring layer to the second metal wiring layer.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a pixel array, wherein at least one pixel cell in the pixel array comprises an imaging photosensitive element configured to convert a portion of incident light into charges for an image signal, and first and second phase detection photosensitive elements arranged side by side at one side of the imaging photosensitive element opposite to a light incident side and configured to convert light penetrating the imaging photosensitive element into charges for first and second phase detection signals respectively, wherein the first and second phase detection signals are used for focus detection.

Abstract: An image sensor including a pixel array, the pixel array includes alternately distributed first pixel units and second pixel units, the first pixel unit includes a first radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in a first wavelength range, and a second radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range, in which the first radiation sensing element is separated from the second radiation sensing element, and the second pixel unit includes a third radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in the third wavelength range, which is different from the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range, and a fourth radiation sensing element for sensing the radiation in the second wavelength range, in which the third radiation sensing element is separated from the fourth radiation sensing element.

Abstract: An image sensor comprises an image sensing array on a semiconductor substrate for image sensing. The image sensor comprises a plurality of first light sensing units arranged in an array. A light sensor, disposed on the semiconductor substrates for sensing ambient light and converting the ambient light into a first electrical signal comprises a plurality of second light sensing units arranged in an array. A processing module may be connected to one or more light sensing units and may be configured to determine the intensity of the ambient light based on the first electrical signal and control the operation of the image sensor based on the determined intensity.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image sensor and a method of forming the same, and an image forming device. An image sensor includes: a substrate in which a photosensitive element region is formed; and a first light concentrating portion formed in a peripheral region of the photosensitive element region, wherein the first light concentrating portion is formed such that to the light entering the peripheral region of the photosensitive element is refracted toward the photosensitive element region through the light concentrating portion. The image sensor and method for forming an image sensor of the present disclosure allow more light to enter the area of the photosensitive element in the substrate, thereby improving the light sensitivity of the image sensor.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises: providing a stacked structure comprising a first wafer that includes a first substrate, a first insulating layer and a first electrical connector and a second wafer that includes a second substrate, a second insulating layer and a second electrical connector; forming a first portion of a TSV which overlaps at least part of the first and second electrical connectors and exposes a part of a surface of the first insulating layer; forming an insulating film that at least covers side surfaces and a bottom surface of the first portion; forming a first conductive barrier film retained on the side surfaces of the first portion; forming a second portion of the TSV that exposes the first and second electrical connectors; forming a conductive plug in the first and second portions, to interconnect the first and second electrical connectors.

Abstract: A backside-illumination complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, comprises a semiconductor substrate including a first side for receiving incident light and a second side opposite to the first side; and a reflector disposed at the second side of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the reflector is configured to reflect incident light that transmits through the semiconductor substrate back into the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An image sensor and a method of forming the same, wherein the forming method includes: providing a substrate including a protective layer, the substrate comprising a photoelectric region; forming a photo-doped region in the photoelectric region; doping improvement ions at an interface between the photoelectric region and the protective layer, wherein the improvement ions are combined with a dangling bond at the interface. The method may reduce dark currents of the image sensor.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image sensor comprising: a photodiode; a color filter located above the photodiode; and a converging lens located between the photodiode and the color filter, wherein the converging lens is configured to converge light onto the photodiode. The image sensor can make the configuration of the image sensor more compact while preventing crosstalk of light between pixel cells.

Abstract: An image sensor may include a semiconductor substrate in which a photodiode is formed; a metal interconnection layer located above the semiconductor substrate; and an absorption layer located between the semiconductor substrate and the metal interconnection layer, wherein the absorption layer is configured to absorb light travelling through the semiconductor substrate.