Abstract: An integrated chip including a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side. A first transistor and a second transistor are along the first side of the semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure including a plurality of dielectric layers is under the first side of the semiconductor substrate. A first metal line is within the dielectric structure. A second metal line is within the dielectric structure and under the first metal line. A first metal via extends between the first metal line and the second metal line. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends from the second side of the semiconductor substrate, through the semiconductor substrate between the first transistor and the second transistor, to the first metal line and the second metal line.

Abstract: Fabricating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure includes: forming a patterned metallization layer; disposing a dielectric material on the patterned metallization layer; etching one or more deep trenches through the dielectric material to the patterned metallization layer; depositing a MIM multilayer on the dielectric material and inside the one or more deep trenches formed in the dielectric material; and fabricating at least one three-dimensional MIM (3D-MIM) capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited inside at least one of the one or more deep trenches; and fabricating at least one second capacitor, including at least one shallow 3D-MIM capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited inside one or more shallow trenches passing partway through the dielectric material that are shallower than the one or more deep trenches, and/or at least one two-dimensional MIM (2D-MIM) capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited on the dielectric material.

Abstract: Some implementations herein provide a semiconductor device and methods for forming the semiconductor device. A multi-layer structure of the semiconductor device includes a metal ring structure and a dielectric sidewall structure along interior sidewalls of the metal ring structure. An interconnect structure (e.g., a through silicon via interconnect structure) is along a central interior axis of the metal ring structure. A protective layer is between the interconnect structure and the dielectric sidewall structure. During a deposition operation that fills a cavity with a conductive material to form the interconnect structure, the protective layer may protect the dielectric sidewall structure from damage to improve a quality and/or a reliability of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, an interconnection structure, a color filter, and a first isolation structure. The semiconductor substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The interconnection structure is disposed over the first surface, and the color filter is disposed over the second surface. The first isolation structure includes a bottom portion, an upper portion and a diffusion barrier layer surrounding a sidewall of the upper portion. A top surface of the upper portion of the first isolation structure extends into and is in contact with a dielectric layer of the interconnection structure.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) chip in which a bond pad structure extends to a columnar structure with a high via density. For example, an interconnect structure is on a frontside of a substrate and comprises a first bond wire, a second bond wire, and bond vias forming the columnar structure. The bond vias extend from the first bond wire to the second bond wire. The bond pad structure is inset into a backside of the substrate, opposite the frontside, and extends to the first bond wire. A projection of the first or second bond wire onto a plane parallel to a top surface of the substrate has a first area, and a projection of the bond vias onto the plane has a second area that is 10% or more of the first area, such that via density is high.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a front side and a back side opposite to each other. A plurality of photodetectors is disposed in the substrate within a pixel region. An isolation structure is disposed within the pixel region and between the photodetectors. The isolation structure includes a back side isolation extending from the back side of the substrate to a position in the substrate. A conductive plug structure is disposed in the substrate within a periphery region. A conductive cap is disposed on the back side of the substrate and extends from the pixel region to the periphery region and electrically connects the back side isolation structure to the conductive plug structure. A conductive contact lands on the conductive plug structure, and is electrically connected to the back side isolation structure through the conductive plug structure and the conductive cap.

Abstract: The problem of connecting a TSV to a BEOL metal interconnect structure without damaging the BEOL metal interconnect structure is solved by landing the TSV on a metal coupling structure formed during FEOL processing. The metal coupling structure is produced in accordance with design rules that apply to FEOL processing. The metal coupling structure may include substructures that have the composition and shape of wires in a transistor level metal interconnect and substructures that have the composition and shape of metal gate strips. The metal coupling structure may include pluralities of the substructures arrayed across the TSV landing area. The substructures that make up the metal coupling structure are connected to the BEOL metal interconnect through vias.

Abstract: An integrated chip including a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first region having a first doping type, a second region having a second doping type, different than the first doping type, and a third region having the second doping type. A photodetector is in the semiconductor substrate. The photodetector is formed, at least in part, by the first region and the second region. A first capacitor electrode is over the third region of the semiconductor substrate. The first capacitor electrode includes a semiconductor. A first insulator layer is between the first capacitor electrode and the third region. A capacitor is along the semiconductor substrate. The capacitor is formed, at least in part, by the first capacitor electrode, the third region, and the first insulator layer.

Abstract: A process of forming a back side deep trench isolation structure for an image sensing device includes etching first trenches in the back side of a semiconductor substrate, lining the first trenches with dielectric, depositing passivation layers over and within the first trenches, and etching second trenches through the passivation layers into the first trenches, and filling the second trenches to form a substrate-embedded metal grid. Optionally, the bottoms of the first trenches are filled by depositing and etching a lower fill material prior to depositing the passivation layers. The method prevents the passivation layers from pinching off in a way that causes voids within the first trenches. The result is better optical performance such as increased quantum efficiency and reduced crosstalk.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a device having a semiconductor substrate including a frontside and a backside. On the frontside of the semiconductor substrate are a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. A gate electrode is arranged on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate and includes a horizontal portion, a first vertical portion, and a second vertical portion. The horizontal portion is arranged over the frontside of the semiconductor substrate and between the first and second source/drain regions. The first vertical portion extends from the frontside towards the backside of the semiconductor substrate and contacts the horizontal portion of the gate electrode structure. The second vertical portion extends from the frontside towards the backside of the semiconductor substrate, contacts the horizontal portion of the gate electrode structure, and is separated from the first vertical portion by a channel region of the substrate.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an integrated chip including a semiconductor substrate and a pixel array comprising a plurality of photodetectors in the semiconductor substrate. The pixel array further comprises a plurality of transistors on a frontside of the semiconductor substrate. A backside ground (BSGD) structure extends into a backside of the semiconductor substrate, opposite the frontside, and further surrounding the pixel array along a periphery of the pixel array. The BSGD structure has a first sloped sidewall extending from a bottom surface of the BSGD structure that is recessed into the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a dielectric layer having a first dielectric surface and a second dielectric surface opposite to the first dielectric surface. The dielectric layer defines a recess in the first dielectric surface, and the recess includes a sidewall of the dielectric layer. A first conductive layer contacts a bottom surface of the dielectric layer. The sidewall of the dielectric layer is directly over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer contacts the first conductive layer and the dielectric layer. The second conductive layer vertically extends from the first conductive layer to above the dielectric layer. A third conductive layer contacts the second conductive layer. The third conductive layer is laterally separated from a sidewall of the second conductive layer that faces the third conductive layer by a non-zero distance.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a device having a semiconductor substrate including a frontside and a backside. On the frontside of the semiconductor substrate are a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. A gate electrode is arranged on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate and includes a horizontal portion, a first vertical portion, and a second vertical portion. The horizontal portion is arranged over the frontside of the semiconductor substrate and between the first and second source/drain regions. The first vertical portion extends from the frontside towards the backside of the semiconductor substrate and contacts the horizontal portion of the gate electrode structure. The second vertical portion extends from the frontside towards the backside of the semiconductor substrate, contacts the horizontal portion of the gate electrode structure, and is separated from the first vertical portion by a channel region of the substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes an image sensing element disposed within a substrate. A gate structure is disposed along a front-side of the substrate. A back-side of the substrate includes one or more first angled surfaces defining a central diffuser disposed over the image sensing element. The back-side of the substrate further includes second angled surfaces defining a plurality of peripheral diffusers laterally surrounding the central diffuser. The plurality of peripheral diffusers are a smaller size than the central diffuser.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, a protection oxide film, and a nitride hard mask. The gate dielectric layer is over the semiconductor substrate. The gate electrode is over the gate dielectric layer. An entirety of a first portion of the gate dielectric layer directly under the gate electrode is of uniform thickness. The protection oxide film is in contact with a top surface of the gate electrode. The gate dielectric layer extends beyond a sidewall of the protection oxide film. The nitride hard mask is in contact with a top surface of the protection oxide film.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an image sensor and a method for forming the image sensor. The image sensor includes an image sensing element disposed on a substrate, an extension pad disposed adjacent to the image sensing element, and a polysilicon pillar disposed on the extension pad. The image sensor further includes an insulating layer disposed over the image sensing element, the extension pad, and the polysilicon pillar.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes an image sensing element disposed within a substrate. A gate structure is disposed along a front-side of the substrate. A back-side of the substrate includes one or more first angled surfaces defining a central diffuser disposed over the image sensing element. The back-side of the substrate further includes second angled surfaces defining a plurality of peripheral diffusers laterally surrounding the central diffuser. The plurality of peripheral diffusers are a smaller size than the central diffuser.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an image sensor integrated chip. The image sensor integrated chip includes a semiconductor substrate having sidewalls that form one or more trenches. The one or more trenches are disposed along opposing sides of a photodiode and vertically extend from an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate to within the semiconductor substrate. A doped region is arranged along the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and along opposing sides of the photodiode. A first dielectric lines the sidewalls of the semiconductor substrate and the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate. A second dielectric lines sidewalls and an upper surface of the first dielectric. The doped region has a width laterally between a side of the photodiode and a side of the first dielectric. The width of the doped region varyies at different heights along the side of the photodiode.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an image sensor including a plurality of photodetectors disposed within a substrate. The substrate comprises a front-side surface opposite a back-side surface. An outer isolation structure is disposed in the substrate and laterally surrounds the plurality of photodetectors. The outer isolation structure has a first height. An inner isolation structure is spaced between sidewalls of the outer isolation structure. The inner isolation structure is disposed between adjacent photodetectors in the plurality of photodetectors. The outer isolation structure and the inner isolation structure respectively extend from the back-side surface toward the front-side surface. The inner isolation structure comprises a second height less than the first height.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an image sensor. The image sensor includes a substrate having a first side and a second side. The substrate includes a pixel region. A photodetector is in the pixel region. A first doped region is in the pixel region. A second doped region is in the pixel region. The second doped region is vertically between the first doped region and the first side of the substrate. A doped well is in the substrate and laterally surrounds the pixel region. The doped well is partially in the second doped region. A portion of the second doped region is vertically between the doped well and the second side of the substrate. A trench isolation structure is in the semiconductor substrate and laterally surrounds the pixel region. A footprint of the trench isolation structure is within a footprint of the doped well.