Abstract: An image pickup device includes on a silicon layer: a photodiode provided on each pixel basis to perform photoelectric conversion to generate a charge depending on the light receiving amount; a floating diffusion section configured to store the charge generated by the photodiode; and a transistor configured to output a pixel signal at a voltage in accordance with a level of the charge stored in the floating diffusion section, wherein the image pickup device further includes a hermetically-sealed cavity section inside the silicon layer and on at least one of the underside of the floating diffusion section and the underside of a channel body region of the transistor.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device has photodiodes, each of which includes an N-type region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first silicon carbide layer formed above the N-type region, and a P-type region including a first silicon layer formed above the first silicon carbide layer and doped with boron. A fabrication process of such a solid-state image pickup device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device, includes: a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate and formed for each pixel; a solid-phase diffusion layer of a second conductivity type formed in a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate, the solid-phase diffusion layer facing the semiconductor layer; and an oxide film containing an impurity element of the second conductivity type and formed by an atomic layer deposition method.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including an element isolation region configured to be formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the element isolation region is formed of a multistep trench in which trenches having different diameters are stacked and diameter of an opening part of the lower trench is smaller than diameter of a bottom of the upper trench.

Abstract: A method for making a solid-state imaging device includes forming a pinning layer, which is a P-type semiconductor layer or an N-type semiconductor layer, on a first substrate by deposition; forming a semiconductor layer on the pinning layer; forming a photoelectric conversion unit in the semiconductor layer, the photoelectric conversion unit being configured to convert incident light into an electrical signal; forming, on the semiconductor layer, a transistor of a pixel unit and a transistor of a peripheral circuit unit disposed in the periphery of the pixel unit, and then forming a wiring section on the semiconductor layer; bonding a second substrate on the wiring section; and removing the first substrate after the second substrate is bonded.

Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a semiconductor base element, an organic photoelectric conversion layer formed above the semiconductor base element, a contact hole formed in an insulating layer on the semiconductor base element, a conductive layer formed in the contact hole and electrically connecting a photoelectric conversion part which includes the organic photoelectric conversion layer with the semiconductor base element, and a contact portion which is formed by self-alignment with the conductive layer in the contact hole in the semiconductor base element, and connected to the conductive layer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including an element isolation region configured to be formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the element isolation region is formed of a multistep trench in which trenches having different diameters are stacked and diameter of an opening part of the lower trench is smaller than diameter of a bottom of the upper trench.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device including: a photoelectric conversion section configured to have a charge accumulating region of a first conductivity type formed in a semiconductor layer; a pixel having the photoelectric conversion section and a pixel transistor; a pixel region in which a plurality of the pixels are arranged; an epitaxially grown semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type formed on an inner wall part of a trench disposed in the semiconductor layer at least between adjacent ones of the pixels within the pixel region; and a pixel separating section configured to separate the charge accumulating regions of the adjacent ones of the pixels from each other, the pixel separating section being formed on the inside of the semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate, a connection portion, and one or more first photoelectric conversion units formed in the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a back side and a front side. The back side is a light incident surface, and the front side is a circuit-forming surface. The connection portion is connected to a contact plug that transfers signal charges generated on the back side of the semiconductor substrate into the semiconductor substrate. The connection portion has a peak of an impurity concentration distribution near an interface of the semiconductor substrate on the back side of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions each provided to correspond to each of a plurality of pixels in a semiconductor substrate and receiving incident light through a light sensing surface, and a pixel separation portion that is embedded into a trench provided on a side portion of the photoelectric conversion portion and electrically separates the plurality of pixels in a side of an incident surface of the semiconductor substrate into which the incident light enters. The pixel separation portion is formed by an insulation material which absorbs the incident light entering the light sensing surface.

Abstract: A method for making a solid-state imaging device includes forming a pinning layer, which is a P-type semiconductor layer or an N-type semiconductor layer, on a first substrate by deposition; forming a semiconductor layer on the pinning layer; forming a photoelectric conversion unit in the semiconductor layer, the photoelectric conversion unit being configured to convert incident light into an electrical signal; forming, on the semiconductor layer, a transistor of a pixel unit and a transistor of a peripheral circuit unit disposed in the periphery of the pixel unit, and then forming a wiring section on the semiconductor layer; bonding a second substrate on the wiring section; and removing the first substrate after the second substrate is bonded.

Abstract: A method for making a solid-state imaging device includes forming a pinning layer, which is a P-type semiconductor layer or an N-type semiconductor layer, on a first substrate by deposition; forming a semiconductor layer on the pinning layer; forming a photoelectric conversion unit in the semiconductor layer, the photoelectric conversion unit being configured to convert incident light into an electrical signal; forming, on the semiconductor layer, a transistor of a pixel unit and a transistor of a peripheral circuit unit disposed in the periphery of the pixel unit, and then forming a wiring section on the semiconductor layer; bonding a second substrate on the wiring section; and removing the first substrate after the second substrate is bonded.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including an element isolation region configured to be formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the element isolation region is formed of a multistep trench in which trenches having different diameters are stacked and diameter of an opening part of the lower trench is smaller than diameter of a bottom of the upper trench.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device has photodiodes, each of which includes an N-type region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first silicon carbide layer formed above the N-type region, and a P-type region including a first silicon layer formed above the first silicon carbide layer and doped with boron. A fabrication process of such a solid-state image pickup device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a sensor including an impurity diffusion layer provided in a surface layer of a semiconductor substrate; and an oxide insulating film containing carbon, the oxide insulating film being provided on the sensor.

Abstract: A method for making a solid-state imaging device includes forming a pinning layer, which is a P-type semiconductor layer or an N-type semiconductor layer, on a first substrate by deposition; forming a semiconductor layer on the pinning layer; forming a photoelectric conversion unit in the semiconductor layer, the photoelectric conversion unit being configured to convert incident light into an electrical signal; forming, on the semiconductor layer, a transistor of a pixel unit and a transistor of a peripheral circuit unit disposed in the periphery of the pixel unit, and then forming a wiring section on the semiconductor layer; bonding a second substrate on the wiring section; and removing the first substrate after the second substrate is bonded.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a sidewall insulating film; a gate electrode; source and drain regions; a first stress film; and a second stress film.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: the first step of forming a gate electrode over a silicon substrate, with a gate insulating film; and the second step of digging down a surface layer of the silicon substrate by etching conducted with the gate electrode as a mask. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device further includes the third step of epitaxially growing, on the surface of the dug-down portion of the silicon substrate, a mixed crystal layer including silicon and atoms different in lattice constant from silicon so that the mixed crystal layer contains an impurity with such a concentration gradient that the impurity concentration increases along the direction from the silicon substrate side toward the surface of the mixed crystal layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: the first step of forming a gate electrode over a silicon substrate, with a gate insulating film; and the second step of digging down a surface layer of the silicon substrate by etching conducted with the gate electrode as a mask. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device further includes the third step of epitaxially growing, on the surface of the dug-down portion of the silicon substrate, a mixed crystal layer including silicon and atoms different in lattice constant from silicon so that the mixed crystal layer contains an impurity with such a concentration gradient that the impurity concentration increases along the direction from the silicon substrate side toward the surface of the mixed crystal layer.

Abstract: A film forming method for forming an arsenic-doped silicon layer (epitaxially grown silicon layer) by epitaxial growth includes the step of supplying a gas containing arsenic as a dopant into the atmosphere for the epitaxial growth while keeping the epitaxial growth atmosphere at the atmospheric pressure.