Patents by Inventor Masatsugu Itahashi

Masatsugu Itahashi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9865637
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes a first process for forming a first gate electrode for a first MOS transistor and a second gate electrode for a second MOS transistor on a substrate including a semiconductor region defined by an insulator region for element isolation, a second process for masking a portion located above the semiconductor region of the first gate electrode to introduce an impurity to a source-drain region of the first MOS transistor, and a third process for forming a first conductor member being in contact with the portion of the first gate electrode through a first hole disposed on an insulator member covering the substrate and a second conductor member being in contact with the second gate electrode through a second hole disposed on the insulator member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Yusuke Onuki, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Masato Fujita
  • Patent number: 9825077
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion region having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a first MOS transistor configured to read a signal in response to an electric charge of each photoelectric conversion element; and a peripheral circuit region having a second MOS transistor configured to drive the first MOS transistor and/or amplify the signal read from the photoelectric conversion region, the photoelectric conversion region and the peripheral circuit region being located on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein an impurity concentration in a drain of the first MOS transistor is lower than an impurity concentration in a drain of the second MOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Watanabe, Tetsuya Itano, Hidekazu Takahashi, Shunsuke Takimoto, Kotaro Abukawa, Hiroaki Naruse, Shigeru Nishimura, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 9716126
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor includes forming a first element isolation and a first active region of a pixel area, and a second isolation and a second active region of a peripheral circuit area, forming a gate electrode film covering the first element isolation, the first active region, the second element isolation and the second active region, implanting an n-type impurity selectively into at least a part of the gate electrode film corresponding to the pixel area, and forming, after the implanting of the n-type impurity, a first gate electrode of the pixel area and a second gate electrode of the peripheral circuit area by patterning the gate electrode film. The part of the gate electrode film includes a portion located above a boundary between the first element isolation and the first active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Mineo Shimotsusa, Masato Fujita, Yusuke Onuki, Takumi Ogino, Keita Torii
  • Patent number: 9647021
    Abstract: A first waveguide member is formed, as viewed from above, in an image pickup region and a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate. A part of the first waveguide member, which part is disposed in the peripheral region, is removed. A flattening step is then performed to flatten a surface of the first waveguide member on the side opposite to the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 9608033
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes a pixel area and a peripheral circuit area. The pixel area includes a first MOS, and the peripheral circuit area includes a second MOS. A method includes forming a gate of the first MOS and a gate of the second MOS, forming a first insulating film to cover the gates of the first and second MOSs, etching the first insulating film in the peripheral circuit area in a state that the pixel area is masked to form a side spacer on a side face of the gate of the second MOS, etching the first insulating film in the pixel area in a state that the peripheral circuit area is masked, and forming the second insulating film to cover the gates of the first and second MOSs and the side spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Seiichi Tamura, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Mineo Shimotsusa, Masato Fujita, Yusuke Onuki
  • Patent number: 9609251
    Abstract: A drain of a first transistor is formed by performing ion implantation on a semiconductor substrate using a first member as a mask for a gate electrode of the first transistor. Further, ion implantation is performed on the gate electrode of the second transistor after thinning a second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mishima, Hideaki Ishino, Kenji Togo, Masatsugu Itahashi, Takehito Okabe
  • Patent number: 9577004
    Abstract: One embodiment according to the present disclosure is an imaging apparatus including pixels. The pixel includes a junction type field effect transistor (JFET) provided in a semiconductor substrate. The JFET includes a gate region and a channel region. An orthogonal projection of the gate region onto a plane parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate intersects an orthogonal projection of the channel region onto the plane. Each of a source-side portion of the orthogonal projection of the channel region and a drain-side portion of the orthogonal projection of the channel region protrudes out of the orthogonal projection of the gate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mahito Shinohara, Masahiro Kobayashi, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Publication number: 20160343767
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solid-state image pickup apparatus includes forming a first insulating film over a substrate after forming a gate electrode of a first transfer transistor and a gate electrode of a second transfer transistor, forming a second insulating film on the first insulating film, forming a first structure and a second structure on side surfaces of the gate electrodes of the first and second transfer transistors, respectively, via the first insulating film by etching the second insulating film in such a manner that the first insulating film remains on a semiconductor region of a photoelectric conversion unit and a semiconductor region of a charge holding unit, and forming a light shielding film that covers the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor, the semiconductor region of the charge holding unit, and the gate electrode of the second transfer transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nakatsuka, Kentaro Suzuki, Mari Isobe, Masatsugu Itahashi, Yasuhiro Sekine, Sho Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20160343754
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a solid state imaging device according to one embodiment includes the steps of forming, on a substrate, a gate electrode of a first transistor and a gate electrode of a second transistor adjacent to the first transistor; forming an insulator film covering the gate electrode of the first transistor and the gate electrode of the second transistor such that a void is formed between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the gate electrode of the second transistor; forming a film on the insulator film; and forming a light shielding member by removing a part of the film by an etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Mari Isobe, Shunsuke Nakatsuka, Masatsugu Itahashi, Yasuhiro Sekine, Sho Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20160227139
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9391227
    Abstract: A substrate includes a first region having photoelectric conversion portions and a second region having an element included in a signal processing circuit. An insulator including first and second parts respectively arranged on the first and second regions is formed on the substrate. Openings are formed in the insulator and respectively superposed on the photoelectric conversion portions. A first member is formed in the openings and on the second part of the insulator after forming the openings. At least a portion of the first member arranged on the second region is removed. The first member is planarized after removing at least the portion of the first member. A second insulator is formed on the first and second regions after planarizing the first member. A through-hole is formed in a part of the second insulator. No planarization with grinding is performed after forming the second insulator and before forming the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Sawayama, Takashi Usui, Akihiro Kawano, Hiroaki Naruse, Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi, Daisuke Uki
  • Patent number: 9344653
    Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including pixels each including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a charge accumulation unit; a transistor including a control electrode; a waveguide; and a light-shielding portion. The waveguide includes an incident portion and an output portion, the light-shielding portion includes a first portion that covers the control electrode of the transistor and a second portion that covers a part of the photoelectric conversion unit, the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit are arranged with an interval therebetween, the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is larger than an interval between a lower end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit, and the interval between the output portion and the photoelectric conversion unit is smaller than an interval between an upper end of the second portion of the light-shielding portion and the photoelectric conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20160126278
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes a first process for forming a first gate electrode for a first MOS transistor and a second gate electrode for a second MOS transistor on a substrate including a semiconductor region defined by an insulator region for element isolation, a second process for masking a portion located above the semiconductor region of the first gate electrode to introduce an impurity to a source-drain region of the first MOS transistor, and a third process for forming a first conductor member being in contact with the portion of the first gate electrode through a first hole disposed on an insulator member covering the substrate and a second conductor member being in contact with the second gate electrode through a second hole disposed on the insulator member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Yusuke Onuki, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Masato Fujita
  • Publication number: 20160035780
    Abstract: Each of a plurality of pixels arranged in two dimensions includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a pixel electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer provided above the pixel electrode, and a counter electrode provided so as to sandwich the photoelectric conversion layer between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode, and a microlens arranged above the photoelectric conversion unit. The plurality of pixels includes a first pixel and a plurality of second pixels. At least either the pixel electrodes of the plurality of second pixels are smaller than the pixel electrode of the first pixel or the counter electrodes of the plurality of second pixels are smaller than the counter electrode of the first pixel, and a configuration between the counter electrode and the microlens of the first pixel is the same as a configuration between the counter electrode and the microlens of each of the plurality of second pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Toshiaki Ono, Hidekazu Takahashi, Naoki Inatani, Yu Maehashi
  • Publication number: 20160037117
    Abstract: At least one solid-state image pickup element includes a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a two-dimensional manner. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units each including a pixel electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer disposed on the pixel electrode, and a counter electrode disposed such that the photoelectric conversion layer is sandwiched between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. In one or more embodiments, each of the plurality of pixels also includes a microlens disposed on the plurality of photoelectric conversion units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ono, Masatsugu Itahashi, Naoki Inatani, Yu Maehashi, Hidekazu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20150364522
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor includes forming a first element isolation and a first active region of a pixel area, and a second isolation and a second active region of a peripheral circuit area, forming a gate electrode film covering the first element isolation, the first active region, the second element isolation and the second active region, implanting an n-type impurity selectively into at least a part of the gate electrode film corresponding to the pixel area, and forming, after the implanting of the n-type impurity, a first gate electrode of the pixel area and a second gate electrode of the peripheral circuit area by patterning the gate electrode film. The part of the gate electrode film includes a portion located above a boundary between the first element isolation and the first active region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Mineo Shimotsusa, Masato Fujita, Yusuke Onuki, Takumi Ogino, Keita Torii
  • Publication number: 20150364517
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor including preparing a wafer including a pixel region where a photoelectric conversion element is provided, a peripheral circuit region where a gate electrode of a peripheral MOS transistor for constituting a peripheral circuit is provided, and a scribe region. The method includes forming an insulating film covering the pixel region, the peripheral circuit region, and the scribe region, and forming a sidewall spacer on a side surface of the gate electrode by etching the insulating film so that portions of the insulating film remains to cover the pixel region and the scribe region, and forming a metal silicide layer in the peripheral circuit region by using, as a mask for protection from silicidation, the insulating film covering the pixel region and the scribe region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Yusuke Onuki, Masatsugu Itahashi, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Mineo Shimotsusa, Masato Fujita, Takumi Ogino, Keita Torii
  • Patent number: 9202842
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a conversion device is provided. Formed are an insulating layer that covers at least conversion portion is formed; a protection layer for suppressing formation of a metal-semiconductor compound layer, at a position where the protection layer covers the conversion portion via the insulating layer, covers at least part of an element isolation region, and exposes a transistor; and a metal film on the protection layer and the transistor. A metal-semiconductor compound layer on the transistor by performing heating process is formed. Metal that has not been reacted by the heating process is removed from the substrate. After that, an upper side in portions of the protection layer covering the conversion portion and the at least part of the element isolation region are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Kenji Togo
  • Publication number: 20150325620
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes a pixel area and a peripheral circuit area. The pixel area includes a first MOS, and the peripheral circuit area includes a second MOS. A method includes forming a gate of the first MOS and a gate of the second MOS, forming a first insulating film to cover the gates of the first and second MOSs, etching the first insulating film in the peripheral circuit area in a state that the pixel area is masked to form a side spacer on a side face of the gate of the second MOS, etching the first insulating film in the pixel area in a state that the peripheral circuit area is masked, and forming the second insulating film to cover the gates of the first and second MOSs and the side spacers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Masatsugu Itahashi, Seiichi Tamura, Nobuaki Kakinuma, Mineo Shimotsusa, Masato Fujita, Yusuke Onuki
  • Publication number: 20150325610
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion region having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a first MOS transistor configured to read a signal in response to an electric charge of each photoelectric conversion element; and a peripheral circuit region having a second MOS transistor configured to drive the first MOS transistor and/or amplify the signal read from the photoelectric conversion region, the photoelectric conversion region and the peripheral circuit region being located on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein an impurity concentration in a drain of the first MOS transistor is lower than an impurity concentration in a drain of the second MOS transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Takanori Watanabe, Tetsuya Itano, Hidekazu Takahashi, Shunsuke Takimoto, Kotaro Abukawa, Hiroaki Naruse, Shigeru Nishimura, Masatsugu Itahashi