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: 9171799
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate on which a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor are arranged and a plurality of wiring layers including a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer above the first wiring layer, in which a connection between the semiconductor substrate and any of the plurality of wiring layers, between a gate electrode of the transistor and any of the plurality of wiring layers, or between the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer, has a stacked contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Naruse, Kenji Togo, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Publication number: 20150304587
    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: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mishima, Hideaki Ishino, Kenji Togo, Masatsugu Itahashi, Takehito Okabe
  • Publication number: 20150270301
    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: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Publication number: 20150264287
    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: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazunari Kawabata, Takeshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9136295
    Abstract: There are provided a first waveguide member in an imaging region and a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate and a via plug penetrating the first waveguide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Sawada, Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi, Takashi Usui, Junji Iwata
  • Patent number: 9129877
    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: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaishi
    Inventors: Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 9082639
    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: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mishima, Hideaki Ishino, Kenji Togo, Masatsugu Itahashi, Takehito Okabe
  • Publication number: 20150179688
    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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Mahito Shinohara, Masahiro Kobayashi, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 9018722
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solid-state image pickup device that includes a pixel portion and a peripheral circuit portion, includes: forming a first insulating film in the pixel portion and the peripheral circuit portion, forming a second insulating film above the first insulating film, etching the second insulating film in photoelectric conversion elements, forming a metal film on the etched second insulating film in the photoelectric conversion elements and on the second insulating film in the peripheral circuit portion, and removing the metal film in the peripheral circuit portion and forming light-shielding films from the metal film in the photoelectric conversion elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouhei Hashimoto, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 8970769
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising a substrate having a first face and a second face opposing each other, and in which photoelectric conversion portions are formed, an optical system including microlenses provided on a side of the first face, and light absorbing portions provided on a side of the second face, wherein the apparatus has pixels of first type for detecting light of a first wavelength and second type for detecting light of a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength, and the apparatus further comprises a first portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each first type pixel, and a second portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each second type pixel, and the first portion has a reflectance higher than that of the second portion for the light of the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mahito Shinohara, Masatsugu Itahashi, Hideomi Kumano
  • Patent number: 8962372
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprises a high-refractive-index portion at a position close to a photoelectric conversion element therein. And, the high-refractive-index portion has first and second horizontal cross-section surfaces. The first cross-section surface is at a position closer to the photoelectric conversion element rather than the second cross-section surface, and is larger than an area of the second cross-section surface, so as to guide an incident light into the photoelectric conversion element without reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 8884391
    Abstract: One of disclosed embodiments provides a photoelectric conversion device, comprising a member including a first surface configured to receive light, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions aligned inside the member in a depth direction from the first surface, wherein at least one of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions other than the photoelectric conversion portion positioned closest to the first surface includes, on a boundary surface thereof with the member, unevenness having a difference in level larger than a difference in level of unevenness of the photoelectric conversion portion positioned closest to the first surface, and wherein the boundary surface having the unevenness is configured to localize or resonate light incident on the member from a side of the first surface around the boundary surface having the unevenness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Fudaba, Masatsugu Itahashi, Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8852987
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an image pickup device includes a step of forming a filling member such that the filling member covers a light guiding part and a peripheral part provided in a film. The light guiding part is positioned on an image pickup region of the image pickup device and has openings that correspond to respective photoelectric conversion portions. The peripheral part is positioned on a peripheral region of the image pickup device. The filling member fills in the openings. The method includes a step of processing the filling member. The method includes a step of forming light guiding members, which is performed after the step of processing filling member has been performed, by a polishing process performed on the filling member so that the light guiding part is exposed. The light guiding members are part of the filling member and disposed in the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Tsukagoshi, Tadashi Sawayama, Akihiro Kawano, Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 8803062
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion unit which is arranged in a semiconductor substrate, a charge holding portion which is arranged in the semiconductor substrate and temporarily holds a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, a first transfer electrode which is arranged at a position above the semiconductor substrate to transfer a charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to the charge holding portion, a charge-voltage converter which is arranged in the semiconductor substrate and converts a charge into a voltage, and a second transfer electrode which is arranged at a position above the semiconductor substrate to transfer a charge held by the charge holding portion to the charge-voltage converter, and the first transfer electrode is arranged to cover the charge holding portion, and not to overlap the second transfer electrode when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Publication number: 20140203171
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprises a high-refractive-index portion at a position close to a photoelectric conversion element therein. And, the high-refractive-index portion has first and second horizontal cross-section surfaces. The first cross-section surface is at a position closer to the photoelectric conversion element rather than the second cross-section surface, and is larger than an area of the second cross-section surface, so as to guide an incident light into the photoelectric conversion element without reflection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 8786044
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a film that covers the photoelectric conversion part and a transfer gate electrode, wherein a first region having a refractive index lower than refractive indices of the film and the photoelectric conversion part, is provided between the film and the photoelectric conversion part, and a second region having a refractive index lower than the refractive indices of the transfer gate electrode and the film, is provided between the film and the top surface of the transfer gate electrode, and wherein T1<T2<?/2?T1 is satisfied, where an optical thickness of the first region is T1, an optical thickness of the second region is T2, and a wavelength of a light incident on the photoelectric conversion part is ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuichi Mishima, Hideaki Ishino, Kenji Togo, Masatsugu Itahashi, Takehito Okabe
  • Patent number: 8730361
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device including a pixel region having a photoelectric converter, and a transfer MOS transistor for transferring charges in the photoelectric converter to a floating diffusion, comprises a first insulating film continuously arranged to cover the photoelectric converter, and a first side surface and a first region of an upper surface of a gate electrode of the transfer MOS transistor while not arranged on a second region of the upper surface, the first insulating film being configured to function as an antireflection film, a contact plug connected with the floating diffusion, and a second insulating film continuously arranged to cover a periphery of the contact plug on the floating diffusion, and the second side surface and the second region while not arranged on the first region, the second insulating film being configured to function as an etching stopper in forming the contact plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Patent number: 8716055
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprises a high-refractive-index portion at a position close to a photoelectric conversion element therein. And, the high-refractive-index portion has first and second horizontal cross-section surfaces. The first cross-section surface is at a position closer to the photoelectric conversion element rather than the second cross-section surface, and is larger than an area of the second cross-section surface, so as to guide an incident light into the photoelectric conversion element without reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatsugu Itahashi
  • Publication number: 20140118602
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising a substrate having a first face and a second face opposing each other, and in which photoelectric conversion portions are formed, an optical system including microlenses provided on a side of the first face, and light absorbing portions provided on a side of the second face, wherein the apparatus has pixels of first type for detecting light of a first wavelength and second type for detecting light of a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength, and the apparatus further comprises a first portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each first type pixel, and a second portion between the substrate and the light absorbing portion for each second type pixel, and the first portion has a reflectance higher than that of the second portion for the light of the first wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mahito Shinohara, Masatsugu Itahashi, Hideomi Kumano
  • Publication number: 20140045294
    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: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Sawayama, Takashi Usui, Akihiro Kawano, Hiroaki Naruse, Sho Suzuki, Takehito Okabe, Masatsugu Itahashi, Daisuke Uki