Antireflection Coating Patents (Class 257/437)
  • Patent number: 7602960
    Abstract: A method for measuring thin film thickness variations of inspected wafer that includes an upper non-opaque thin film. The method including (i) scanning the wafer and obtain wafer image that includes that includes die images each of which composed of pixels, (ii) identifying regions in a first die image and obtain first intensity measurements of the respective regions, (iii) identifying corresponding regions in a second die image and obtain second intensity measurements and the second intensity measurements to obtain signal variations between the second intensity measurements and the first intensity measurements, whereby each calculated signal variation is indicative of thickness variation between a region in the second die and a corresponding region in the first die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Israel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Avishay Bartov
  • Publication number: 20090250630
    Abstract: A photodiode (200), for instance a PN or a PIN photodiode, is disclosed. The photodiode receives incident radiation having first and second spectral distributions, where the first spectral distribution is spectrally shifted from the second spectral distribution. The photodiode has a first semiconductor layer (211) capable of absorbing incident radiation (231) having a first spectral distribution without generating a photocurrent, while simultaneously transmitting incident radiation having a second spectral distribution to the intrinsic layer (212) for generating a photocurrent (213). The photodiode may be used in connection with detecting the presence of target molecules that has been labeled with labeling agents, such as fluorophores or quantum dots. The labeling agents are characterized by the Stokes shift and, therefore, they emit fluorescent radiation having the second spectral distribution that is spectrally shifted from the illumination radiation having the first spectral distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Pieter Jan Van Der Zaag, Ian French, Nigel David Young
  • Publication number: 20090243018
    Abstract: An organic-inorganic composition, which has a backbone containing —Si—O— units with chromophore groups attached directly to at least a part of the silicon atoms. The film forming composition and resulting coating properties can be tailored to suit the specific exposure wavelength and device fabrication and design requirements. By using two different chromophores the refractive index and the absorption co-efficient can be efficiently tuned and a desired Si-content of the anti-reflective coating composition can be obtained—a high Si-content will give good mechanical and thermal properties and also the required wet etch and dry etch properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Braggone Oy
    Inventor: Ari Kärkkäinen
  • Patent number: 7595217
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor may include at least one of: a semiconductor substrate over which a photodiode and transistors are formed; passivation layers formed over a semiconductor substrate; and color PRs buried in trenches formed in the passivation layers and formed to be higher than the trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chee Hong Choi
  • Patent number: 7592578
    Abstract: A photoelectric-conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric-conversion area where a plurality of photoelectric-conversion elements configured to convert incident light into electrical charges, a plurality of floating-diffusion areas, a plurality of transfer-MOS transistors configured to transfer electrical charges of the photoelectric-conversion element to the floating-diffusion area, and a plurality of amplification-MOS transistors configured to read and transmit a signal generated based on the transferred electrical charges to an output line are provided. An antireflection film is provided on a light-receiving surface of the photoelectric-conversion element. The gate of the amplification-MOS transistor is electrically connected to one floating-diffusion area by providing one conductor in a single contact hole, and the anti-reflection film covers the photoelectric-conversion area except a base part of the contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Shigeru Nishimura, Shunsuke Takimoto
  • Publication number: 20090218595
    Abstract: A semiconductor light detecting element comprises: a semiconductor substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite each other; a first reflective layer, an absorptive layer, a phase adjusting layer, and a second reflective layer sequentially disposed, from the semiconductor substrate, on the first major surface of the semiconductor substrate; and an anti-reflection film on the second major surface of the semiconductor substrate, The first reflective layer is a multilayer reflective layer including laminated semiconductor layers having different refractive indices; the absorptive layer has a band gap energy smaller than band gap energy of the semiconductor substrate; the phase adjusting layer has a band gap energy larger than the band gap energy of the absorptive layer; and the first reflective layer contacts the absorptive layers without intervention of other layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eitaro Ishimura, Masaharu Nakaji
  • Patent number: 7582492
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of doping impurities that includes a step of doping impurities in a solid base substance by using a plasma doping method, a step of forming a light antireflection layer that functions to reduce light reflection on the surface of the solid base substance, and a step of performing annealing by light radiation. According to the method, it is possible to reduce the reflectance of light radiated during annealing, to efficiently apply energy an impurity doped layer, to improve activation efficiency, to prevent diffusion, and to reduce sheet resistance of the impurity doped layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Guo Jin, Yuichiro Sasaki, Bunji Mizuno, Katsumi Okashita, Hiroyuki Ito, Tomohiro Okumura, Satoshi Maeshima, Ichiro Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7580279
    Abstract: An anti-reflective coating (ARC) is formed over the various layers involved in a cell fabrication process. The ARC is selectively etched such that the edges of the etched areas of the ARC slope downward at an angle determined by the thickness of the ARC. The etching process could include CF4 chemistry. The inner edges of the sloped ARC areas reduce the original photo-defined space since the underlying layers are now defined by the sloped edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger W. Lindsay, Frances May, Robert Veltrop
  • Publication number: 20090207473
    Abstract: A power generating black mask comprising an anti-reflection layer deposited over a substrate, a first electrode layer deposited over the anti-reflection layer, a semi-conductor layer deposited over the first electrode layer and a second electrode layer deposited over the semi-conductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ion Bita, Chun-Ming Wang, Gang Xu
  • Publication number: 20090201395
    Abstract: A backside illuminated imaging sensor includes a semiconductor having an imaging pixel that includes a photodiode region, an insulator, and a silicide reflective layer. The photodiode region is formed in the frontside of the semiconductor substrate. The insulation layer is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. The transparent electrode formed on the backside of the insulation layer. The transparent electrode allows light to be transmitted through a back surface of the semiconductor substrate such that when the transparent electrode is biased, carriers are formed in a region in the backside of the semiconductor substrate to reduce leakage current. ARC layers can be used to increase sensitivity of the sensor to selected wavelengths of light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sohei Manabe, Satyadev Nagaraia
  • Patent number: 7572571
    Abstract: In a solid state imaging device, and a method of manufacture thereof, the efficiency of the transfer of available photons to the photo-receiving elements is increased beyond that which is currently available. Enhanced anti-reflection layer configurations, and methods of manufacture thereof, are provided that allow for such increased efficiency. They are applicable to contemporary imaging devices, such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and CMOS image sensors (CISs). In one embodiment, a photosensitive device is formed in a semiconductor substrate. The photosensitive device includes a photosensitive region. An anti-reflection layer comprising silicon oxynitride is formed on the photosensitive region. The silicon oxynitride layer is heat treated to increase a refractive index of the silicon oxynitride layer, and to thereby decrease reflectivity of incident light at the junction of the photosensitive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang Rok Moon
  • Publication number: 20090184344
    Abstract: A solid-state image capturing element according to the present invention is provided, in which one or a plurality of light receiving sections for photoelectrically converting an incident light to generate a signal charge is provided on a surface of a semiconductor area or a surface of a semiconductor substrate and a peripheral circuit with a transistor is provided, where a reflection preventing film provided above the light receiving sections and a gate sidewall film of the transistor are formed with a common nitride film that is formed simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Nagai, Noboru Takeuchi, Kazuo Ohtsubo, Yuhji Hara
  • Publication number: 20090174021
    Abstract: A photodiode includes a substrate having a first semiconductor type surface region on at least a portion thereof, and a second semiconductor type surface layer formed in a portion of the surface region. A multi-layer anti-reflective coating (ARC) is on the second semiconductor type surface layer, wherein the multi-layer ARC comprises at least two different dielectric layers. A layer resistant to oxide etch is above a peripheral portion the multi-layer ARC. Further layers are above the layer resistant to oxide etch, and thereby above the peripheral portion the multi-layer ARC. A window extends down to the multi-layer ARC. A photodiode region is formed by a pn-junction of the first semiconductor type surface region and the second semiconductor type surface layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: Dong Zheng, Phillip J. Benzel, Joy Jones, Alexander Kalnitsky, Perumal Ratnam
  • Patent number: 7538404
    Abstract: An optical semiconductor device includes a first light receiving region and a second light receiving region provided on a substrate and the first and second light receiving regions include light receiving elements, respectively. A first anti-reflection film is formed in the first light receiving region of the substrate and a second anti-reflection film is formed in the second light receiving region of the substrate. The reflectance of the first anti-reflection film for a first wavelength range of light is lower than the reflectance of the second anti-reflection film for the first wavelength range of light and the reflectance of the second anti-reflection film for a second wavelength range of light which is different from the first wavelength range of light is lower than the reflectance of the first anti-reflection film for the second wavelength range of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Miyajima, Takaki Iwai, Hisatada Yasukawa
  • Publication number: 20090108285
    Abstract: A rod-shaped semiconductor device having a light-receiving or light-emitting function is equipped with a rod-shaped substrate made of p-type or n-type semiconductor crystal, a separate conductive layer which is formed on a part of the surface of the substrate excluding a band-shaped part parallel to the axis of the substrate and has a different conduction type from the conduction type of the substrate, a pn-junction formed with the substrate and separate conductive layer, a band-shaped first electrode which is formed on the surface of the band-shaped part on the substrate and ohmic-connected to the substrate, and a band-shaped second electrode which is formed on the opposite side of the first electrode across the shaft of said substrate and ohmic-connected to the separate conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Josuke Nakata
  • Patent number: 7518096
    Abstract: It is a main object of the present invention to suppress the differences of color ratios of B/G and R/G when the film thicknesses of antireflective films and insulation films vary at a processing process. The present invention is a photoelectric conversion apparatus including a plurality of light receiving portions arranged on a semiconductor substrate, antireflective films formed on the light receiving portions with insulation films put between them, and color filter layers of a plurality of colors formed on the antireflective films, wherein film thicknesses of the insulation films and/or the antireflective films are changed such that changing directions of spectral transmittances at peak wavelengths of color filters on sides of the shortest wavelengths and at peak wavelengths of color filters on sides of the longest wavelengths after transmission of infrared cutting filters may be the same before and after changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Noda
  • Publication number: 20090085140
    Abstract: Provided are a finger type photodiode and a method of manufacturing the same, which can reduce noise by forming a shallow doping layer. The finger type photodiode includes a bottom substrate supporting layers to be formed thereon, an epitaxial layer formed on the bottom substrate, a finger doping layer formed in a finger shape on a top surface of the epitaxial layer, and a shallow doping layer formed with a shallow depth on an externally exposed top surface of the epitaxial layer and a top surface of the finger doping layer. Since the dangling bond generated on the epitaxial layer and the finger doping layer is reduced, noise can be reduced, thereby improving the light efficiency and reliability of the photodiode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Deuk Hee PARK, Kyoung Soo KWON, Chae Dong GO, Ha Woong JEONG
  • Publication number: 20090057801
    Abstract: Back-illuminated, thin photodiode arrays with trench isolation. The trenches are formed on one or both sides of a substrate, and after doping the sides of the trenches, are filled to provide electrical isolation between adjacent photodiodes. Various embodiments of the photodiode arrays and methods of forming such arrays are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: SEMICOA
    Inventors: Alexander O. Goushcha, George Papadopoulos, Perry A. Denning
  • Patent number: 7495305
    Abstract: Embodiments of an optical device including at least two transparent layers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gregory J. May, Kuohua Wu
  • Patent number: 7482665
    Abstract: A photo diode includes a buried layer of first conductivity type, an epitaxial layer of first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer second conductivity type which are sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate, a doped shallow junction layer of second conductivity type which is formed using a solid state diffusion process from a surface region to an internal region of the epitaxial layer of second conductivity type, and a silicon oxide film pattern and a silicon nitride film pattern which are sequentially formed on the shallow junction layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kye-won Maeng, Sung-ryoul Bae
  • Publication number: 20090016200
    Abstract: The objective of this invention is to provide a type of photodiode and the method of manufacturing the photodiode characterized by the fact that it has a higher photoelectric conversion efficiency (sensitivity) than that in the prior art. PIN photodiode 100 has a p-type silicon substrate, p-type silicon layer 112, n-type silicon layer 114 formed on p-type silicon layer 112 and having a junction plane with silicon layer 112, n-type low-resistance silicon region 116 that is formed to a prescribed depth from the surface of silicon layer 114 and has an impurity concentration higher than that of silicon layer 114, silicon oxide film 120 formed on silicon region 116, and silicon nitride film 122 formed on silicon oxide film 120.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tomomatsu, Akihiro Sugihara, Motoaki Kusamaki, Tohru Katoh
  • Publication number: 20090008737
    Abstract: Provided is an image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. The image sensor includes anti-reflection films which are formed between a plurality of metal wire lines of the lowest metal wiring layer and a semiconductor substrate and between one of the metal wiring layers and another metal wiring layer. The image sensor having the anti-reflection films according to the present invention can reduce color crosstalk and noises in comparison with a conventional image sensor by using the anti-reflection films formed above the surroundings of the photodiodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: SILICONFILE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jun Ho Won, Se Jung Oh, Jae Young Rim, Byoung Su Lee
  • Publication number: 20090008736
    Abstract: A method for photo-detecting and an apparatus for the same are provided. The apparatus for photo-detecting includes a first P-N diode and a second P-N diode. The first P-N diode, has a first P-N junction which has a first thickness, by which a first electrical signal is generated when irradiated by light, and the second P-N diode has a second P-N junction which has a second thickness, by which a second electrical signal is generated when irradiated by light. The second thickness is larger than the first thickness and an operation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal is proceeded for obtaining a third electrical signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Chee-Wee LIU, Chun-Hung LAI, Meng-kun CHEN, Wei-Shuo HO
  • Publication number: 20080308890
    Abstract: Light is illuminated from a back-surface side of a silicon substrate 4. A back-illuminated type imaging device 100 reads out, from a front-surface side of the silicon substrate 4, charges that are generated in the silicon substrate 4 in response to the illuminated light, so as to perform imaging. The back-illuminated type imaging device 100 includes pad portions 17 formed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate 4, and a plurality of pillars 9 that are formed in the semiconductor substrate 4, are made of a conductive material and electrically connect wiring portions 12 formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate 4 and the pad portions 17 to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventor: Shinji UYA
  • Publication number: 20080283727
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device, including: a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion portion, formed therein; and a laminated film formed on said semiconductor substrate; wherein said laminated film includes a hydrogen desorbing film for desorbing hydrogen, and a hydrogen blocking-off film disposed so as to overlie said hydrogen desorbing film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kitano, Kenji Tatani, Shinya Watanabe, Kouji Yahazu, Yosuke Isoo, Masaru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7453109
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a solid state image sensor including at least one antireflective layer and/or non rectangular shaped wiring layer cross section to reduce dark currents and 1/f noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Koizumi, Akira Okita, Tetsuya Itano, Sakae Hashimoto, Ryuichi Mishima
  • Publication number: 20080277753
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a detector structure, detector arrays, and a method of detecting incident radiation. The present invention comprises a photodiode array and method of manufacturing a photodiode array that provides for reduced radiation damage susceptibility, decreased affects of crosstalk, reduced dark current (current leakage) and increased flexibility in application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Steven Bui, Narayan Dass Taneja
  • Patent number: 7449761
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes an anti-reflective layer arranged on the face of a first metal layer that is closer to a semiconductor layer than a second metal layer. The anti-reflective layer covers the channel region as viewed in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20080230863
    Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, methods and apparatus are provided for a semiconductor device having thin anti-reflective layer(s) operable to absorb radiation that may otherwise reflect off surfaces disposed inwardly from the anti-reflective layer(s). In a method embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a support structure outwardly from a substrate. The support structure has a first thickness and a first outer sidewall surface that is not parallel with the substrate. The first outer sidewall surface has a first minimum refractive index. The method further includes forming an anti-reflective layer outwardly from the first outer sidewall surface. The anti-reflective layer has: a second outer sidewall surface that is not parallel with the substrate, a second refractive index that is greater than the first minimum refractive index, and a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Inventors: Stanford Joseph Gautier, Rabah Mezenner, Randy Long
  • Patent number: 7411170
    Abstract: A photoelectric-conversion apparatus includes a photoelectric-conversion area where a plurality of photoelectric-conversion elements configured to convert incident light into electrical charges, a plurality of floating-diffusion areas, a plurality of transfer-MOS transistors configured to transfer electrical charges of the photoelectric-conversion element to the floating-diffusion area, and a plurality of amplification-MOS transistors configured to read and transmit a signal generated based on the transferred electrical charges to an output line are provided. An antireflection film is provided on a light-receiving surface of the photoelectric-conversion element. The gate of the amplification-MOS transistor is electrically connected to one floating-diffusion area by providing one conductor in a single contact hole, and the anti-reflection film covers the photoelectric-conversion area except a base part of the contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Shimotsusa, Shigeru Nishimura, Shunsuke Takimoto
  • Publication number: 20080128846
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a detector structure, detector arrays, and a method of detecting incident radiation. The present invention comprises several embodiments that provide for reduced radiation damage susceptibility, decreased affects of crosstalk, reduced dark current (current leakage) and increased flexibility in application. In one embodiment, a photodiode array comprises a substrate having at least a front side and a back side, a plurality of diode elements integrally formed in the substrate forming the array, wherein each diode element has a p+ fishbone pattern on the front side, and wherein the p+ fishbone pattern substantially reduces capacitance and crosstalk between adjacent photodiodes, a plurality of front surface cathode and anode contacts, and wire interconnects between diode elements made through a plurality of back surface contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Steven Bui, Narayan Dass Taneja
  • Patent number: 7378627
    Abstract: A semiconductor light receiving element has: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of photodiodes formed on the semiconductor substrate and configured to receive respective lights of different wavelengths; and an anti-reflection film provided on light receiving surfaces of the plurality of photodiodes. A structure of the anti-reflection film on at least one photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes is different from a structure of the anti-reflection film on another photodiode of the plurality of photodiodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Seiji Kawata
  • Patent number: 7368797
    Abstract: In a back-surface electrode type photoelectric conversion element having electrodes and semiconductor layers for collecting carriers disposed only on a back surface side of a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor thin film that is larger in band gap than the semiconductor substrate and that contains an element causing a conductivity identical to or different from a conductivity of the semiconductor substrate is provided on a light-receiving surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and a diffusion layer is formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomonori Nagashima, Kenichi Okumura
  • Patent number: 7365408
    Abstract: A bi-layer anti-reflective coating for use in photolithographic applications, and specifically, for use in ultraviolet photolithographic processes. The bi-layered anti-reflective coating is used to minimize pattern distortion due to reflections from neighboring features in the construction of microcircuits. The bi-layer anti-reflection coating features a first layer, an absorption layer, disposed on a second layer, a dielectric layer, which is then disposed between a substrate and a photoresist layer. The dielectric/absorption layer comprises one combination selected from Ta/Al2O3, Ta/SiO2, Ta/TiO2, Ta/Ta2O5, Ta/Cr2O3, Ta/Si3N4, Ti/Al2O3, Ti/SiO2, Ti/TiO2, Ti/Ta2O5, Ti/Cr2O3, Ti/Si3N4, Cr/Al2O3, Cr/SiO2, Cr/TiO2, Cr/Ta2O5, Cr/Cr2O3, Cr/Si3N4, Al/Al2O3, Al/TiO2, Al/Ta2O5, Al/Cr2O3, Al/Si3N4, Ni/Al2O3, Ni/SiO2, Ni/TiO2, Ni/Ta2O5, Ni/Cr2O3, Ni/Si3N4, Ir/Al2O3, Ir/SiO2, Ir/TiO2, Ir/Ta2O5, Ir/Cr2O3, and Ir/Si3N4. At least the absorption and dielectric layers can be formed using vacuum deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Bernard Kruger, Clint David Snyder, Patrick Rush Webb, Howard Gordon Zolla
  • Publication number: 20080079106
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate; a light-receiving element formed in the semiconductor substrate and photoelectrically converting incident light; and a plurality of wiring layers stacked on top of each other on a surface of the semiconductor substrate where the light-receiving element is formed. At least one of the plurality of wiring layers includes: a first insulating layer; metal wiring formed on the first insulating layer; an antireflection layer stacked on the first insulating layer and the metal wiring, preventing diffusion of a material making up of the metal wiring, and preventing reflection of the incident light; and a second insulating layer stacked on the antireflection layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei MIYAGAWA, Shuichi MAYUMI
  • Patent number: 7329953
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an insulating layer having contact openings of varying depths for logic/DRAM circuits is achieved using a single mask and etch step. After forming stacked or trench capacitors, a planar insulating layer is formed. Contact openings are etched in the planar insulating layer to the substrate, and contact openings that extend over the edge of the stacked or trench capacitor top electrode, having an ARC, are etched using a novel mask design and a single etching step. This allows one to make contacts to the substrate without overetching while making low-resistance contacts to the sidewall of the capacitor top electrode. In the trench capacitor open areas are formed to facilitate making contact openings that extend over the top electrode. A series of contact openings that are skewed or elongated also improve the latitude in alignment tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Chi Tu
  • Patent number: 7319553
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical modulator module package structure. In the optical modulator module package structure, an optical modulator device and a drive integrated circuit device are flip-chip bonded to a substrate, and an opening of the substrate is blocked using a piece of glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Suk Kee Hong
  • Patent number: 7317237
    Abstract: There is disclosed a photovoltaic conversion device constructed using a p-type crystalline silicon substrate 404 doped with boron, which comprises a bulk substrate region 404, regions other than the bulk substrate region including an n-type region 403a joining to a light receiving surface of the bulk surface region, a BSF region 405 joining to a back surface of the bulk surface region, wherein with regions other than the bulk substrate region 404 being removed, when a minority carrier diffusion length of the bulk substrate region 404 is measured from the light receiving surface of the bulk surface region, 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Niira, Shigeru Gotoh
  • Patent number: 7315642
    Abstract: A method for measuring thin film thickness variations of inspected wafer that includes an upper non-opaque thin film. The method including (i) scanning the wafer and obtain wafer image that includes die images each of which composed of pixels, (ii) identifying regions in a first die image and obtain first intensity measurements of the respective regions, (iii) identifying corresponding regions in a second die image and obtain second intensity measurements of the respective regions, (iv) processing the first intensity measurements and the second intensity measurements to obtain signal variations between the second intensity measurements and the first intensity measurements, whereby each calculated signal variation is indicative of thickness variation between a region in the second die and a corresponding region in the first die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Israel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Avishay Bartov
  • Patent number: 7279793
    Abstract: An anti-reflective coating layer for the manufacturing of semiconductor devices is disclosed. In one example, a partial semiconductor device includes a substrate; a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer over the substrate, and the BARC layer is transformed from being hydrophobic to being hydrophilic during a lithography process; and a photoresist layer over the BARC layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Bang-Ching Ho, Jen-Chieh Shih
  • Patent number: 7276798
    Abstract: An integrated vacuum package having an added volume on a perimeter within the perimeter of a bonding seal between two wafers. The added volume of space may be an etching of material from the inside surface of the top wafer. This wafer may have vent holes that may be sealed to maintain a vacuum within the volume between the two wafers after the pump out of gas and air. The inside surface of the top wafer may have an anti-reflective pattern. Also, an anti-reflective pattern may be on the outside surface of the top wafer. The seal between the two wafers may be ring-like and have a spacer material. Also, it may have a malleable material such as solder to compensate for any flatness variation between the two facing surfaces of the wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Higashi, Karen M. Newstrom-Peitso, Jeffrey A. Ridley
  • Patent number: 7265431
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer may be coated with an imageable anti-reflective coating. As a result, the coating may be removed using the same techniques used to remove overlying photoresists. This may overcome the difficulty of etching anti-reflective coatings using standard etches because of their poor selectivity to photoresist and the resulting propensity to cause integrated circuit defects arising from anti-reflective coating remnants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Swaminathan Sivakumar
  • Patent number: 7227236
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image sensor package and its manufacturing method. As an example, an infrared ray protection glass is positioned directly on an image sensing region of an image sensor die. An electrically conductive wire and so forth located outside the image sensing region are encapsulated. At this time, one surface of the infrared ray protection glass is exposed outwardly. A mount holder to which a barrel with lenses is coupled is adhered on a surface of the encapsulant outside the infrared ray protection glass. The mount holder has a similar width to that of the image sensor die. Accordingly, the overall width of the image sensor package can become reduced, and the electrically conductive wire is protected against oxidization because it is surrounded by the encapsulant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Amkor Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Deok Lee, Do Hyun Na
  • Patent number: 7217883
    Abstract: A solar cell involving a silicon wafer having a basic doping, a light-receiving front side and a backside, which is provided with an interdigital semiconductor pattern, which interdigital semiconductor pattern has a first pattern of at least one first diffusion zone having a first doping and a second pattern of at least one second diffusion zone, separated from the first diffusion zone(s) and having a second doping that differs from the first doping, wherein each second diffusion zone is arranged along the sides of at least one groove extending from the backside into the silicon wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Shell Solar GmbH
    Inventor: Adolf Münzer
  • Patent number: 7196314
    Abstract: A pixel for use in CMOS or CCD image sensors is disclosed. The pixel includes a light sensitive element, such as a photodiode, formed in a semiconductor substrate. An anti-reflective coating is formed over the photodiode to reduce reflection of incident light. The reduced reflection results in greater “signal” reaching the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Howard E. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 7176491
    Abstract: A silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film are formed on a glass substrate. On the silicon oxide film is formed a thin film transistor T including a source region, a drain region, a channel region having a predetermined channel length, a first GOLD region having an impurity concentration lower than the impurity concentration of the source region, a second GOLD region having an impurity concentration lower than the impurity concentration of the drain region, a gate insulation film, and a gate electrode. The length of an overlapping portion in plane between the gate electrode and the second GOLD region in the direction of the channel length is set longer than the length in the direction of the channel region of an overlapping portion in plane between the gate electrode and the first GOLD region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Toyoda, Takao Sakamoto, Kazuyuki Sugahara
  • Patent number: 7173179
    Abstract: A solar co-generator for producing both heat energy and electricity is disclosed. A solar concentrator directs sunlight into a container lined with solar cells and filled with a thermal transfer fluid. The fluid is transparent with respect to certain wavelengths of light that may be converted to electricity by the solar cell, but is opaque with respect to longer wavelengths, particular the infrared band. The infrared portion of the sunlight heats the thermal transfer fluid, which then transfer that heat through a storage facility using a heat exchange mechanism. The thermal transfer fluid increases the efficiency of photovoltaic generation by preventing heating of the solar cells due to infrared radiation. The thermal transfer fluid may be a mixture containing barium sulfate and a suspension of zinc sulfide phosphors. A fluorescing anti-reflective coating may be applied to the solar cells to further increase efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas
    Inventors: Stephen Adolph Nicoletti, Roger M. Hawk
  • Patent number: 7161630
    Abstract: To achieve light blocking performance firmly by a simple constitution with no need of separately providing a special member, a photographing element is provided on a front face side of a circuit board for a camera and a light blocking member is provided on a rear face side thereof. Connection terminal portions++ are arranged to align at a peripheral portion of the board. As the light blocking member on the rear face side, a conductive pattern or a resist having light blocking performance is used and the conductive pattern is integrally formed with one of the connection terminal portions and the resist is formed at portions excluding the connection terminal portions. The conductive pattern may be formed by copper paste and the resist may be formed by a resist of black color or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Precision Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuo Akimoto, Motoharu Sakurai, Junichi Nio
  • Patent number: 7105904
    Abstract: A CMOS type of image sensor module for use in a mobile camera or a PC camera includes an image sensoring semiconductor chip encapsulated in a transparent block of polymeric material on a substrate having a circuit to which the ship is connected. The image sensoring semiconductor chip is disposed on an upper surface of the substrate as spaced vertically from a digital signal processing second semiconductor chip mounted on a lower surface of the substrate. The transparent polymeric encapsulation material constitutes a sealing resin unit. The digital signal processing second semiconductor chip may also be encapsulated by the sealing resin unit. The sealing transfer unit can be formed by injection and/or transfer molding. The forming of the sealing resin unit by a single molding process keeps production costs low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyoung-Sei Choi
  • Patent number: 7087936
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a substrate that is at least partially transparent to optical radiation and has a first index of refraction. A diode region is disposed on a first surface of the substrate and is configured to emit light responsive to a voltage applied thereto. An encapsulation layer is disposed on a second surface of the substrate and has a second index of refraction. An antireflective layer is disposed between a second surface of the substrate and the encapsulation layer. The antireflective layer has a graded index of refraction having values in a range between about the first index of refraction at a first surface of the antireflective layer and about the second index of refraction at a second surface of the antireflective layer. The encapsulation layer may also be omitted and the antireflective layer may separate the substrate, which has a first index of refraction, from air, which has a second index of refraction. Non “flip-chip” embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald H. Negley