Abstract: A semiconductor device and fabricating method thereof are disclosed. The method includes forming a first metal line over a substrate, forming a barrier layer over the substrate and the first metal line, forming an insulating layer on the barrier layer, forming a capping layer on the insulating layer, forming a photoresist pattern on the capping layer, implanting halogen ions into the insulating layer using the photoresist pattern as a mask, forming a via-hole exposing the first metal line by dry-etching the insulating layer using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask, and forming a second metal line in the via-hole in contact with the first metal line.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an image sensor according to an embodiment includes performing a plasma surface treatment on an oxide film microlens to mitigate high surface morphology. The image sensor can include a passivation layer on a substrate having a pad region and a pixel region and a color filter layer on the passivation layer. A first low temperature oxide can be formed over the substrate including the color filter layer; and an oxide film microlens can be formed on the first low temperature oxide layer. A portion of the first low temperature oxide layer can provide a seed microlens upon which a second low temperature oxide layer is formed to form the oxide film microlenses. The plasma surface treatment can then be applied with respect to the oxide film microlenses.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that may include steps of forming a pad oxide layer and an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate; and then performing a first etching process on the semiconductor device to form an insulating layer pattern exposing a portion of the pad oxide layer in a trench area; and then performing a second etching process with respect to the pad oxide layer by using the insulating layer pattern as a mask; and then performing a blanket ion implantation process with respect to the insulating layer pattern and the exposed portion of the pad oxide layer to form an ion layer in the semiconductor substrate; and then performing a third etching process with respect to the semiconductor substrate to simultaneously form a pad oxide layer pattern and a trench in the semiconductor substrate; and then forming an insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate including the trench; and then performing a planarization process with respect to the semiconductor substrate including t

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an image sensor including forming a microlens array over a color filter array, forming a capping layer over the semiconductor substrate including the microlens array, forming a pad mask over the capping layer, and then exposing a pad in an interlayer dielectric layer.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for a semiconductor device that can include a cleaning tank and a plurality of anodic metals attached to an inner surface thereof and serving as sacrificial anodes during a cleaning sequence using a cleaning liquid.

Abstract: An image sensor and method for manufacturing the same are provided. The image sensor can include a semiconductor substrate, a metal interconnection layer, a light-receiving unit, a lens-type upper electrode, and a color filter. The semiconductor substrate can include a circuit region. The metal interconnection layer can include a metal interconnection and an interlayer dielectric. The light-receiving unit can be a photodiode disposed on the metal interconnection layer. The lens-type upper electrode can be disposed on the light-receiving unit and formed in a convex lens shape. The color filter can be disposed on the lens-type upper electrode.

Abstract: A metal interconnection of semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same is provided. The semiconductor device can include a semiconductor substrate formed with device structures such as transistors. An interlayer dielectric layer can be formed on the semiconductor substrate with a metal interconnection formed therethrough. A spacer can be formed on at least a portion of a sidewall of the metal interconnection. A diffusion barrier can be formed on an upper surface of the metal interconnection.

Abstract: An image sensor including an interlayer dielectric layer formed over a semiconductor substrate, a color filter layer formed over the interlayer dielectric layer, a planarization layer formed over the color filter, and a microlens array having a gapless, continuous shape and a multilayered structure formed over the planarization layer.

Abstract: An image sensor include an interlayer dielectric layer formed over a semiconductor substrate; a color filter array formed over the interlayer dielectric layer; a planarization layer formed over the color filter; and a microlens array having a continuous, gapless shape formed over the planarization layer and spatially corresponding to the color filter array. The microlens array is composed of a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer formed over the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. The method includes: forming a base interlayer dielectric layer having a first metal wiring on a semiconductor substrate, and a diffusion stop layer on the base interlayer dielectric layer to expose the first metal wiring; forming a first interlayer dielectric layer pattern having a trench and a via hole penetrating through the first interlayer dielectric pattern; forming a second metal wiring in the trench and the via hole and contacting the first metal wiring; exposing an upper portion of the second metal wiring by etching the first interlayer dielectric layer pattern; depositing a silicon nitride film over the first interlayer dielectric layer pattern; and forming a spacer on side walls of the exposed upper portion of the second metal wiring.

Abstract: An image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same capable of improving image quality by preventing the generation of a lens bridge formed due to a mutual connection of neighboring microlenses. The image sensor can include a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of photodiodes formed thereon; an insulation layer formed over the semiconductor substrate; a color filter layer formed over the insulation layer; a planarization layer formed over the whole surface including the color filter layer and having a plularity of concave regions and a convex regions repeatedly arranged in a pixel period; and a microlens formed over each of the concave regions and the convex regions.

Abstract: A method for forming a trench isolation in a semiconductor device is provided. This is a novel method for rounding the top corners of trench isolations. The method ensures that rounded corner portions with a uniform shape are consistently formed regardless of the pattern densities of active areas. The method increases the reliability of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, without degrading electrical characteristics, and making it easier to achieve high integration and performance in semiconductor integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: An image sensor and method of manufacturing thereof are provided. In an embodiment, an image sensor can include a photodiode on a substrate, an interlayer dielectric formed on the substrate, an insulating layer micro-lens on the interlayer dielectric, and an organic micro-lens on the insulating layer micro-lens.

Abstract: An image sensor and fabricating method thereof which reduces a light intensity differential between a pixel center and a pixel edge and prevents crosstalk. The image sensor can include a plurality of convex lens provided within a passivation layer and in vertical alignment with a corresponding photodiode, each convex lens including a color filter; having a predetermined color array, and a plurality of microlens provided over the passivation layer and in vertical alignment with a corresponding color filer.

Abstract: Methods for forming a contact hole in a semiconductor device are provided. An exposed portion of an isolation layer, which may be generated during a process of forming a borderless contact hole, can be covered with a material similar to that of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same which is capable of increasing the light-collection efficiency of a photodiode. The image sensor comprises: at least one photodiode formed on a semiconductor substrate; multilayer interlayer insulating films formed on the photodiode and stacked in at least two layers so that the density of the upper interlayer insulating film becomes lower than that of the lower interlayer insulating film as the multilayer interlayer insulating films proceed upward; a light shield layer and an element-protecting film sequentially stacked on the multilayer interlayer insulating film; color filter arrays and a flattening layer sequentially stacked on the element-protecting film; and microlenses arranged on the positions corresponding to the color filters on the flattening layer.

Abstract: An image sensor and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The image sensor includes: a first photodiode formed in a substrate and receiving a first color; a second photodiode formed in the substrate apart from the first photodiode and receiving a second color with a wavelength longer than that of the first color; a third photodiode formed in the substrate apart from the first photodiode and the second photodiode and receiving a third color with a wavelength longer than that of the second color; and a passivation layer formed on the substrate and having different regional thicknesses whose magnitude increases in order of a first region of the passivation layer corresponding to a first color region, a second region of the passivation layer corresponding to a second color region and a third region of the passivation layer corresponding to a third color region.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for removing a photoresist layer and a method for forming a metal line using the same. The method for removing a photoresist pattern, including the steps of: forming a bottom layer on a substrate by using the photoresist pattern as a mask; and removing the photoresist pattern with use of a high density plasma (HDP) apparatus. The method for forming a metal line, including the steps of: preparing a semi-finished substrate including an inter-layer insulation layer; forming a photoresist pattern on the inter-layer insulation layer; forming an opening by etching the inter-layer insulation layer with use of the photoresist pattern as an etch mask; removing the photoresist pattern by using a high density plasma (HDP) apparatus; and forming the metal line by filling the opening with a predetermined material.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for forming an interlayer insulation film in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: sequentially forming a porous low dielectric insulation film and a capping layer on the semiconductor substrate on which a few elements of the semiconductor device have been formed; and forming damascene patterns in the porous low dielectric insulation film by an etching process, and forming a protection film for closing pores exposed during the etching process at the same time.

Abstract: An image sensor and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The image sensor includes: a first photodiode formed in a substrate and receiving a first color; a second photodiode formed in the substrate apart from the first photodiode and receiving a second color with a wavelength longer than that of the first color; a third photodiode formed in the substrate apart from the first photodiode and the second photodiode and receiving a third color with a wavelength longer than that of the second color; and a passivation layer formed on the substrate and having different regional thicknesses whose magnitude increases in order of a first region of the passivation layer corresponding to a first color region, a second region of the passivation layer corresponding to a second color region and a third region of the passivation layer corresponding to a third color region.