Abstract: An integrated circuit structure has a substrate comprising a well region and a surface region, an isolation region within the well region, a gate insulating layer overlying the surface region, first and second source/drain regions within the well region of the substrate. The structure also has a channel region formed between the first and second source/drain regions and within a vicinity of the gate insulating layer, and a gate layer overlying the gate insulating layer and coupled to the channel region. The structure has sidewall spacers on edges of the gate layer to isolate the gate layer, a local interconnect layer overlying the surface region of the substrate and having an edge region extending within a vicinity of the first source/drain region. A contact layer on the first source/drain region in contact with the edge region and has a portion abutting a portion of the sidewall spacers.

Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor device includes a capacitive coupled photodiode that is formed within a region of a semiconductor substrate. The photodiode receives an incident light and generates a corresponding electric charge. The CMOS image sensor device includes a reset transistor coupled to the photodiode for reverse biasing the photodiode with a predetermined voltage. The CMOS image sensor device further includes a buffer circuit and a capacitor, which is interposed between the photodiode and the buffer circuit. The capacitor is configured to transfer the electric charge to the buffer circuit. The buffer circuit may include an emitter follower or a source follower transistor.