Abstract: A method of forming a contact for a photosensitive element of a photosensitive imager including a common electrode separated from a bottom contact by intervening layers of an SiOx transistor passivation layer over the bottom contact and an SiNx diode passivation layer over the transistor passivation layer. Controlled etching through the passivation layers exposes but does not damage the thin film transistor passivation layer extending in regions beyond the common electrode, and also improves adherence of a protective gasket in such regions. The contact pad formed in this process has a layer of diode passivation material and a layer of transistor passivation material disposed between the upper common electrode material layer and the underlying source and drain electrode material layer, with a via provided having smooth and sloped sidewalls over which the common electrode material extends to provide electrical contact between the common electrode material layer and the source and drain electrode material layer.

Abstract: Contact pads for providing external electrical connection to components on a radiation imager having a photosensor array include a body of the material utilized for fabrication of the photosensors with an indium tin oxide (ITO) top layer disposed over the photosensor material to provide a contact region. A metal contact surface can also be disposed over the ITO. A barrier dielectric material is further disposed over portions of the contact pad.

Abstract: A radiation imager having a plurality of photosensitive elements has a two-tier passivation layer disposed between the top patterned common electrode contact layer and respective photosensor islands. The top passivation layer is a polymer bridge member disposed between adjacent photodiodes so as to isolate defects such as moisture-induced leakage in any bridge island layer to the two adjacent photodiodes spanned by the bridge island.

Abstract: A solid state imager is provided that has a robust, high integrity upper barrier layer disposed over photosensor pixels and data address line topography in the imager. Data address line spacers disposed between the sidewalls of the data address lines and the upper barrier layer provide an inclined foundation for the upper barrier layer in the vicinity of the data address line sidewalls, thereby providing barrier layer high integrity step segments in the region of the steps around relatively thick data address lines. The address line spacers are formed from residual photosensor semiconductive material, typically amorphous silicon, which remains following the etching steps to form deposited photosensitive semiconductive material into the pixel photosensor bodies.

Abstract: A method of repairing an open circuit defect in a damaged address line in a thin film electronic imager device includes the steps of forming a repair area on the device so as to expose the open-circuit defect in the damaged address line and then depositing a conductive material to form a second conductive component and to coincidentally form a repair shunt in the repair area so as to electrically bridge the defect. The step of forming the repair area includes the steps of ablating dielectric material disposed over the first conductive component in the repair area, and etching the repair area so as to remove dielectric material disposed over the defect in the address line in the repair area such that the surface of the address line conductive material is exposed but is not contaminated by the removal of the overlying dielectric material.